Breaking the Rules
by Mutant-Enemy-730
Summary: FINISHED. PostReloadedSpoilers. ADDED A PROLOGUE TO THE FIRST CHAPTER! READ IT! Trinity goes on a mission to bring Neo back from his coma and later learns of someone creating an anomaly in the Matrix. Someone that may help in finishing the war.
1. It's a plan

Prologue: After being picked up on the Hammer, Trinity, Morpheus and Link decide to switch to the Logos with Neo and Bane so the Hammer, the larger of the two ships, could do a more extensive search for surivivors in the rubble that was once Zion. The Logos, due to a crew shortage, could fit almost everyone into a room of their own. Niobe and Morpheus shared a room while Trinity and Neo, when and if he woke up from his coma, shared another. This is where the story begins.  
  
Trinity sat, unmoving. For two weeks she had sat at Neo's side, occasionally holding his hand, only leaving to use the bathroom. Morpheus brought food to her and she slept in a chair by Neo's bedside. Every day she dared to hope that he would wake up. She dared to hope that there would be a change in his brain waves. But each day, that hope was crushed. Each day, the only movement from Neo was of his chest rising and lowering when he breathed. He didn't open his eyes; he didn't grip her hand, nothing. The only proof that he was alive was the heart monitor and his rising chest.  
  
Trinity was so close to giving in to the crew's pleas of sleeping in her room, and not always staying at his side. However, one night, Trinity jolted awake from a dream. As she calmed her speeding heart, she tried to remember exactly what the dream was about. And then, like a bullet, it hit her. She knew where and how to find Neo. Standing, she pressed the "Call" button, knowing at least Morpheus, Niobe and Flash, the Logos' medic would arrive. She was not disappointed.  
  
"Trinity, it's 3:35 a.m. What the hell is going on here? Has Neo's brain waves or heart beat changed?" Flash asked, immediately surveying the monitor and the two patients.  
  
"No. Morpheus, Niobe, help me plug Neo's body into the Matrix. I know how to wake him up."  
  
"Just what is your idea?" Niobe inquired, stifling a yawn.  
  
"Neo's mind is in a coma. The amount of power he used to stop those Sentinels and to get to me and bring me back to life has changed him. Smith connected him to the Matrix. Like a part of him is connected to it, or something, I'm not quite sure. But if we plug him in and I go in, I'll bet I can find him and bring him back." Trinity explained.  
  
"Just where do you want to begin looking for him?" Morpheus asked gently.  
  
"Link can run a trace. My bets are that he won't remember anything. He'll have amnesia. But if you contact Seraph, who'll undoubtedly have a key to the Source, I'll bring Neo to the same building we were in when Neo went to visit the Architect. Once reconnected with his 'imprisoned' mind inside the Source due to all this power overloading, we can bring him back- awake and with his memory." Trinity rationalized, both to herself and Morpheus and Niobe.  
  
"I don't want you to go in there alone, but if there's anyone Neo would trust, whether knowing them or not, it would be you. So you go in alone. We'll be constantly watching for any sign of trouble. You go in, find him, bring him to Seraph, and get him out. That is all." Morpheus commanded.  
  
"I wouldn't have it any other way." Trinity finished, setting up a stretcher. 


	2. First impression the second time

"All right. What do you want?" Link asked, fingers poised over the keyboard.  
  
"Guns, and a black Ducati." Trinity replied into her cell phone.  
  
"One Ducati and all the toppings coming right up."  
  
Trinity smiled as she heard Link typing furiously before the white of the Construct was filled with four rows of small arms and a sleek motorcycle at the end. After a few minutes of loading up, Trinity kicked started the bike- a signal that she was ready to go in.  
  
~~*~~  
  
Arriving in a run down mechanic shop, Trinity dismounted her bike to pick up the ringing phone.  
  
"I'm in. Where's Neo?"  
  
"Search almost done. Got him. Four blocks south, in an old Chinese restaurant, 'The Black Dragon'." Link replied.  
  
"Got it."  
  
"Now don't you go make any trouble, you hear? I don't wanna see any cops around you." Link commented. Trinity could practically hear him smiling.  
  
"What makes you think I do anything like that?" Trinity answered before shutting off the phone- cutting off Link's reply in the process.  
  
Now, The Black Dragon, not a bad place to be- the owner hated cops of any kind so this should be easy. Trinity jumped onto her bike and after revving it, floored it around the corner. Arriving at the restaurant only a few minutes later, Trinity walked in the back doors- intent on making sure the owner wasn't hiding Neo. Finding no one around the back, Trinity walked swiftly to the front. In the kitchen, the owner was heating some water.  
  
"Sir. Where is the man you have here?" Trinity asked.  
  
The man jumped at her voice, obviously interrupted from his thoughts.  
  
"Who are you? What do you want? Why are.Oh. Trinity. I'm sorry. You want to speak with the man I found on my doorstep? Why?" The small Chinese man's anger dissipated upon seeing the form of a former contact. He would give her help in deleting hers and the other crewmember's files in the government databases in turn for freeing his daughter and two sons.  
  
"He's free." Was her simple answer.  
  
"He doesn't recall."  
  
"I know. Is he out front, in the dining area?" Trinity asked, turning her lens-covered eyes towards the kitchen doorway.  
  
"Yes, I was making tea. It will be ready in a few moments. I'll bring it out and leave you alone." Trinity smiled gently and nodded. As she began walking towards the door, the man asked, almost fearfully,  
  
"How are my children? Are they alive?"  
  
"Yes. Dragon is an operator, Vise and Ether are crewmembers." Trinity replied. She wasn't completely lying she thought. That's what they were, until almost every ship was destroyed save a handful.  
  
"Thank you." The man smiled and bowed slightly before turning back to the tea.  
  
~~*~~  
  
Neo sat in a booth, his back facing the kitchen. He had his hands clasped together on top of the table when Trinity slid into the seat across from him. Trinity removed her glasses and placed them gently on the table to the side.  
  
"Hello Neo."  
  
Neo's eyes, which up to this point had been glued to the tabletop, slowly moved upward. His breath caught slightly in his throat as his eyes went further and further up, until he met a pair of ice blue eyes, staring intently back at him. Those eyes staring at him seemed so familiar. ~Get a grip on yourself, she just sat down. You have no idea who she is- just like the Chinese man. ~ But Neo's thoughts were interrupted as the Chinese man walked over and placed two small cups of tea beside them.  
  
Neo watched as this woman, dressed in black, who looked almost menacing, smiled softly at the Chinese man. ~Why do I get the feeling she doesn't smile often? ~  
  
"Neo. Do you know who I am?" Trinity asked again. Trying to cover her sadness at how he didn't even respond to his name.  
  
"Is that my name? It sounds familiar." Neo asked back.  
  
"Yes. Do you remember anything?"  
  
Neo shook his head no before taking a sip of the tea. Discovering it was too hot, he licked his lips and blew on it gently. Trinity was mesmerized by his reaction before trying a different tack.  
  
"Do you know anything besides what you just woke up to?"  
  
"Well, see that's the problem." Neo began, setting the tea down, and cupping it between his hands before continuing. "Nothing was familiar until you sat down. I knew somehow that I knew you. I just felt like I knew you. And when you said my name, it sounded familiar. But I can't place it. Do we know each other? Do we work together or something?"  
  
"Both." Off Neo's confused look, "We work together and something."  
  
"What's the something?" Neo asked.  
  
"As much as I'd like to tell you, right now, that's not what you need to know. Neo, when you woke up earlier, did you feel that this world around you, just wasn't right? There was something wrong with it?"  
  
"If I say yes, will you laugh?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Then yes."  
  
Trinity leaned back, slightly relaxing. As Neo finished his tea, Trinity began the story- only the much-condensed version.  
  
"This world that we are in right now, is a computer program created by machines to make the human race slaves to them. Few of these humans find the truth. And those that do- are freed to live a life dedicated to fighting the machines. Everything around us is computer generated. The air we're breathing, the tea you drank, the lights, the seats, everything. This world we are in right now, is not the Real World. It is the Matrix."  
  
Neo took this in. Nodding his head slightly,  
  
"Right, right. And then the Terminator will come back in time to tell me that I'm going to be the savior of the human race. Right."  
  
"Actually, minus the Terminator part, you aren't that far off."  
  
Neo's skeptical look vanished into that of interest.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"You want the truth?" Trinity asked.  
  
Neo nodded.  
  
"Then come with me." Trinity stood, and not waiting for Neo, turned and walked back through the kitchen. She pushed the back door open, put on her glasses, opened her cell phone, and pressed speed dial. 


	3. Who rides on the subway when you have a ...

"Operator." Link answered into the headset.  
  
Trinity turned to see Neo standing a few feet from him.  
  
"Tell Morpheus that I've got him. We'll be meeting Seraph in less that ten minutes."  
  
"Good because someone noticed that you were there. The cops are blocking all routes to that one building from where you are."  
  
"Shit. How many?"  
  
"More than enough."  
  
"Agents?"  
  
"Not at this time, no. But don't take that for granted."  
  
"I know. Tell Seraph fifteen minutes."  
  
"You fast lady you." Link commented before Trinity shut off the phone.  
  
~~*~~  
  
"Any problems?" Neo asked as he watched Trinity throw her leg over the side of the motorcycle.  
  
"Nothing I can't handle. Hop on." Trinity replied as she kick started the bike.  
  
Neo paused a moment before swinging his leg over and wrapping his arms around Trinity's midsection. ~Why does this feel oddly familiar? Why do I feel so safe and comfortable with this woman I barely know. And what was the "something" other than co-workers? ~ Neo's thoughts were interrupted by the way Trinity reacted to his touch. He felt the shiver that went down her back, the way her body tensed as he tightened his grip when she revved the engine. No this woman and he- they had something. He didn't know what, but they had something. Something that co-workers don't have.  
  
Trinity closed her eyes for a moment before flooring it down the street. His touch- after two weeks was almost too much to bear. Even if he didn't remember. As she went down the streets, she glanced at all possible places to detour. Taking the subway stairs slowly, Trinity bumped her way down, feeling Neo's grip tighten evermore around her waist. But it wasn't out of fear, Neo trusted her, and without a knowledge of why. His tightening grip was merely to hold on.  
  
"Where are we going?" Neo yelled over her shoulder.  
  
"I can hear you fine. Don't yell. We- are going back it seems." Trinity swiveled around upon seeing four cops running down the stairs she was planning on riding back up.  
  
As she turned her bike around, she saw four more cops blocking her original entrance. Glancing back and forth between the two groups, Neo believed this was it. Then, Trinity turned her head sideways to speak to him.  
  
"Hold on. Tight. This'll be one wild ride." Trinity revved the engine once more, enjoying the warmth Neo's grip gave to her. She floored it to her right and turn further right as she flew off the edge of the cement and landed in between the railway tracks. Trinity reached into her pocket and handed Neo the cell phone.  
  
"Press speed-dial. Ask the man to give me directions out of here that will led me the quickest to the government building." Trinity called over her shoulder.  
  
Neo nodded, and, upon snaking one arm tightly around her, pressed speed- dial and placed the phone next to his ear.  
  
"Operator." Link responded, fingers typing quickly over the keyboard.  
  
"Hi. Umm, Trinity wants you to give me directions for the fastest way out of here."  
  
"All right. Tell her to go straight until she sees a fork. Go right, but not before switching the track. The train behind you will follow you unless you switch the track. After that, there will be a station about a mile further. Get off there."  
  
"Thank you." Neo answered.  
  
"No problem." Link responded before hanging up.  
  
Neo handed Trinity the phone back, before telling her what Link told him.  
  
"All right. The fork is right up here." Trinity answered when he finished.  
  
Neo glanced around him, and upon a gut feeling, looked behind him. The train, not 200 feet back, was gaining, and quickly.  
  
"Uhhh Trinity, hurry up." Neo said quickly into her ear.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Well, do you want to be picked up by the train?"  
  
"Shit." Trinity pushed the bike to go faster before curving right and coming to a dead stop.  
  
Jumping off the bike, Neo and Trinity ran over to the switch. Trinity grabbed it and began pushing it. It didn't budge. Trinity looked at the bottom of it- rusted in place.  
  
"Shit. Neo help me." Trinity moved around so she was pulling while Neo pushed, the train drawing closer and closer. Finally, with less than 10 yards to spare, the switch flew towards Trinity, knocking her down- onto the track.  
  
Neo, reacting instead of thinking, jumped from his position and ran the few feet to her. He snaked his arms around her waist, and jumped as hard as he could away from the track. The train flew past just a second after he jumped. Neo looked up at the passing train before looking down again. He had held Trinity to him and ended up landing on top of her.  
  
"Thank you." Trinity whispered, staring into his eyes.  
  
"Trinity, what is it between us?" Neo asked, surprised at the way his body reacted to her own body pressed against his and her arms around him.  
  
"Something." Trinity answered.  
  
Neo leaned down, succumbing to the desires of his heart instead of his mind. Trinity's lips were a shock of heat. Searing his lips as he moved them over hers gently. This was all too familiar. Suddenly, Neo's eyes flew open, and he jumped back, falling on his butt as he stumbled.  
  
"Neo, what is it? What's wrong?" Trinity worriedly asked, slightly breathless.  
  
Neo recalled making love to Trinity in some sort of cave. Candles were all around them, casting a warm glow throughout the room. He felt safe, loved, and in love. The responses her naked body melding against his provoked from him were a shock to his mind where only a hour ago he remembered nothing at all.  
  
"I-I remember something." Neo stumbled, trying not to blush while finding words at the same time. 


	4. Irrelevant clothes and revisiting the So...

"What do you remember?" Trinity asked gently.  
  
"I'm in a cave of some sort, surrounded by candles. You're there, with me. And." Neo trails off, blushing.  
  
"And? Oh." Trinity's confusion abated when she remembered the last time they had spent a night in their apartment in Zion. "Well, come on, we'd better get going." Trinity stood and held out a hand to help Neo up before walking over to her bike and starting it.  
  
Soon after, Neo and Trinity arrived at the station and together, lifted the bike up. Riding up the stairs was slightly more difficult, considering gravity. Trinity had to slow down in order to keep Neo on the bike. As they came out of the station, Trinity stopped to call Link.  
  
"Link, where am I in accordance to our destination?" Trinity asked into the phone.  
  
Neo could just barely hear the voice on the other end of the line saying, "Ride north one block, and then turn left on 47th street."  
  
"Got it." Trinity shut the phone off and rode off.  
  
Arriving shortly at the specified address, Trinity let Neo off before parking in an alley across the street. Running back to meet Neo, he followed her to the front steps. Upon seeing the doors, Neo assumed they would be locked- especially on a building like this. But Trinity walked calmly up to them and pulled it open; as if this was something she did often. Striding towards the elevator, Trinity glanced to her left and right before pressing the "Up" button. Neo arrived at the doors a moment later and waited silently for the doors to open.  
  
Neo heard the elevator land before the doors opened. Walking in after Trinity, he turned to see her press 47 before watching the doors close. They rode in silence; the only sound Neo heard was his heart thundering in his ears. ~Can she hear this? I bet she can, it seems so loud. ~ The elevator slowed to a stop, and the doors opened, revealing another Chinese man dressed in white and wearing glasses. Exiting the elevator, the man bowed before them in greeting.  
  
"Hello. My name is Seraph. Trinity, you needed my assistance I believe?" Seraph asked, turning his eyes on her.  
  
"Yes. Do you have the key to the Source?"  
  
"I have a key to the room where the Source's door is. Not the key to the source. Neo has that." Seraph nodded in Neo's direction.  
  
Trinity turned towards Neo.  
  
"He's not wearing the same clothes that he did when he last entered."  
  
"That is irrelevant. He had the key then, he has the key now." Seraph reproved gently.  
  
"Neo, search all your pockets for a key." Trinity asked.  
  
Neo stuck his hands in his shirt pockets, his jacket pockets his back pockets and finally, in his left front pocket, he pulled out a key.  
  
"This it?" He asked, looking at Seraph.  
  
"Yes. Come. Follow me." Seraph took the key and handed it to Trinity before turning and walking down the hall.  
  
Neo looked to Trinity for any explanation, but she just continued looking ahead. Seraph turned right at a nameless door. Sticking a key in, he opened the door to a white hall, seemingly endless, with hundreds of doors on either side.  
  
"Holy shit." Neo blinked, trying to take this in. This was not a hall from the building they were just in- that much was for sure. "Where are we?"  
  
"Back doors to the Matrix." Seraph answered simply. Neo followed Seraph to a left turn in the hall and not 100 feet away, a door stood at the end of the hall. Seraph stopped as they got to it and opened it with another key. Walking into the room, Trinity turned around only to find Neo no longer in sight.  
  
"Where is he?" Trinity asked, anger boiling beneath her skin.  
  
"In the Source, waiting for you." Seraph answered before retreating back out the door.  
  
Trinity turned to face the door that apparently led to the Source. Walking quickly to it, she shoved the key into the lock and turned. As the door swung open, Trinity saw Neo kneeling on the floor of a completely white room with no windows or exits save for the one she was in. Trinity took a step in, a little unsure.  
  
"Neo?" His head whipped up. Standing, Neo ran towards Trinity, who also ran to meet him.  
  
Embracing each other tightly, Neo breathed in the Matrix scent of the woman he loved. Pulling back to look into his eyes, Trinity felt herself being drawn in closer. Neo leaned down to capture Trinity's lips in a kiss. Trinity felt two differences in the kiss- one was that it wasn't exactly the same as when they were in the real world, and the other was that this one wasn't as unsure as the one Neo had given to her back in the subway. Sliding her lips against his, Trinity wrapped an arm around his neck, deepening the kiss. Neo slowly ended the kiss, pulling away so he could speak.  
  
"What took you so long?" Neo asked sarcastically.  
  
"Does it matter?" Trinity shot back, ignoring the sarcasm.  
  
"Well, no not really."  
  
"Okay then. Let's get you out of here." Trinity said, stopping Neo from commenting further as she turned and walked out.  
  
Followed closely by Neo, Trinity left the Source and then re-entered the white hallway. Neo walked past a few doors before opening one to their left. Walking through it, Neo paused to allow Trinity to call Link for an exit. Trinity shut off the phone and looked at Neo's brown eyes through her own glasses.  
  
"A closed furniture store down the street."  
  
Neo nodded and opened the door that led to a stairwell to the bottom floor of the building they were in. 


	5. Reuniting lovers always win

Neo winced as the needle was pulled gently out of his head. Before he could sit up however, Trinity's face appeared above his as well as Morpheus'.  
  
"Welcome back Neo." Morpheus commented, smiling.  
  
"Neo! We missed you man! How you feeling?" Link's voice burst out from behind Morpheus.  
  
Neo laughed softly before responding.  
  
"Not bad. I have a killer headache though."  
  
"Why don't you go rest? In the morning we can talk." Morpheus concluded, gently patting Neo on the back as he sat up.  
  
"Yeah, okay. Hey, where's my room?" Neo asked to the retreating Morpheus.  
  
"Trinity will show you to your room. The Logos is a large ship, thankfully." Morpheus smiled once more before climbing up the ladder to leave.  
  
Neo turned towards Trinity as he stood up. Smiling gently, she took his hand in her own and led him to the ladder before following Morpheus. Climbing up two levels, Trinity got off and waited for Neo to finish climbing.  
  
"Not much further. This way." Trinity whispered as she turned and walked down the hallway.  
  
Neo followed her to almost the end of the hall before she stopped at a door and opened it. Following her in, Neo shut the door behind him before turning around to take in the new room. It was about as big as the one they had on the Neb, maybe a bit smaller. The back wall had a bookcase with assorted books and a few odds and ends on it along with two separate areas for extra clothes and boots.  
  
Neo's eyes finally landed on Trinity, taking her in. And, as much as he wanted her that minute, he knew that his head would explode if he did not sleep. Trinity seemed to see the pain in his eyes and guided him to the bed. Neo slipped off his boots as Trinity switched off the small lamp that had been on in the dark room. As Neo lay down on the bed he heard Trinity take off her own boots before curling up against his chest. Yes, sleep would come tonight.  
  
~~*~~  
  
Neo awoke to the lights flickering on in his new cabin. The fluorescent shock of light almost always woke him. If that didn't work, Trinity would usually find another way to wake him up. But not this time, for Trinity still lay asleep in his arms. ~This must have been the first night for her in a real bed since before my coma. I bet she didn't get one full night's rest while I was unconscious. Might as well let her sleep. ~  
  
Neo smiled down at Trinity while he tried to find a way to get his right arm free from underneath her body. As he gave a subtle, yet strong tug, Trinity rolled her body over to face his- still asleep. Taking one look at her face, free from all pain and sadness, and Neo decided not to move until those eyes opened. As he laid his head back down and pushed gently to slide a leg between her two, Trinity's eyes slowly opened.  
  
"Hey."  
  
"Hi. Sleep well?" Neo asked softly.  
  
"The best in a long time." Trinity smiled, and lifted a leg up slightly to allow Neo's to slide through since he had not yet been able to do so. "Comfy now?"  
  
"Very." Neo answered, closing his eyes for a moment.  
  
"Good. Because I am too."  
  
Neo laughed before kissing her on the forehead. Before he could kiss her lips however, the door squeaked open, revealing Morpheus behind it.  
  
"Morning you two. I trust you slept well?" A hint of a smiled played at the corners of Morpheus' mouth as he took in the sight of Neo's leg between Trinity's and his arms wrapped around her.  
  
"Yes, thank you. Must we get up right this second?" Neo asked, purposefully trying to sound like he was complaining.  
  
Morpheus laughed before responding, "No, not this second. It's about six in the morning. You have until 6:30 to be in the mess hall. But I'm not captain of this ship, so I'm only allowed to do this for you this once."  
  
"Okay, I can live with that. Thank you." Neo replied as Morpheus closed the door and left.  
  
"Where were we?" Neo asked, looking down into Trinity's blue eyes.  
  
"Not sure, show me." Trinity replied, closing her eyes as Neo's lips made contact with her own.  
  
Lips on lips, so long apart, were a shock of electricity. Trinity sighed into Neo's mouth as he moved his lips more firmly on hers. Taking the opportunity, Neo rolled Trinity over until his body was on top of hers. Sliding his lips down her neck to her collarbone, Neo became consumed with the need to touch, to taste, to feel. Trinity's lips kissed a slow trail of fire along his jaw and slowly down his neck before she pulled his shirt over his head.  
  
Neo gasped as Trinity's hands slid up his chest and back, tangling themselves in his hair. Her hands created pools of fire beneath his skin, scorching him while his own hands worked their way up her shirt. Sliding a hand up her back, Neo smiled against her lips as a shudder ran down Trinity's spine. Slowly pulling her shirts off, Neo kissed her stomach and moved upward until he found a particularly sensitive spot on her neck and began sucking on it. Moaning softly, Trinity's hands found their way to Neo's pants, slowly pushing them down before Neo kicked them off- Trinity quickly followed suit.  
  
~~*~~  
  
As Niobe walked by Neo and Trinity's room to go down to the mess hall, she could swear she heard someone moaning in Trinity and Neo's room. Considering for a moment to go in and investigate- Niobe quickly remembered that Neo was now awake, and no longer in a coma. Speeding up her walk by with a hint of a smile playing on her lips, Niobe couldn't help but remember a certain man who used to the same things with her.  
  
~~*~~  
  
Neo gasped as Trinity dragged her fingers up his back. Pressing his forehead against hers, Neo rocked back and forth- losing himself in the feelings. Warm, soft, hard, tense, damp, and hot. Hot everywhere Trinity touched him. From the nail marks that she dug into his back when he climaxed to the blue mark on his neck from her kisses, he burned for her. Laying down, half on and half off her, Neo turned his head to face Trinity's. Looking at the damp hair around her face, Neo couldn't help but think how much he loved her.  
  
"I love you too." Trinity replied.  
  
~Guess I said it aloud. ~ Neo thought.  
  
"Sorry about going away."  
  
"Well, you came back. Albeit, I had to go find you in the Matrix, but we brought you back." Trinity smiled before taking his hand in her own and lifted it to her lips.  
  
"Do we have to go now?" Neo asked, glancing around.  
  
"Unfortunately, I think so."  
  
"Ugh. I just want to stay here forever."  
  
"Me too, but we can't. Come on." Trinity sat up slightly before leaning down to kiss Neo gently on the lips.  
  
Pulling on her shirts and then her underwear and pants, Trinity turned to see Neo doing the same. As she finished putting on her second boot, Trinity turned again, only to be face to face with Neo.  
  
"Whoa. Close aren't you?" Trinity commented, backing up slightly.  
  
"Do we really have to go?" Neo asked, curling a finger in her hair.  
  
"Yes. As your second-in-command, I'm ordering you to go to the mess hall." Trinity commanded, smiling slightly.  
  
"Hmm, playing with the power over me you don't usually exert now?" Neo asked, leaning closer to Trinity as she leaned further back- this would be too easy.  
  
"I don't play with power. I win with it." Trinity commented- quite aware of the fact that any further back and she would either fall onto her back on the bed or fall off of it- her choice.  
  
"Really? Well win against me. I am the One, am I not?" Neo asked, leaning forward an inch more. ~Almost there. ~  
  
"Abusing your own power too?"  
  
"Ha. I'm the One- you can't beat me." Neo asked with mock-haughtiness.  
  
Trinity quickly chose the option of not falling off the bed, and decided to play his game for a bit. Lying down on the bed with Neo sliding on top of her- pinning her, Trinity whispered, "Prove it."  
  
Leaning down, Neo closed his lips over hers. As she sighed against his mouth, Neo slide his tongue into her mouth, clashing with hers. Neo slowly began a trek down her jaw and neck to her collarbone as he had done earlier- only slower this time. Coming back up, he was met by a fierce kiss. Trinity kissed down and under his chin before he found her lips once more. One last kiss and he pulled back- still pinning her.  
  
"Satisfied?"  
  
Trinity smiled gently before slipping out of Neo's grasp and standing up.  
  
"What's wrong?" Neo asked, concerned he did something he shouldn't have.  
  
"Nothing. Get ready." And with that, Trinity tossed Neo's boots at him.  
  
Sighing, Neo submitted to the fact that Trinity had indeed beat him. 


	6. How small is too small?

Neo sat at the table in the mess hall, and began eating for the first time in two weeks. Wishing he had something more to eat than the slop, Neo looked up to see Trinity, Morpheus, Niobe, Link, Flash, Ghost, Sparks and Detrick either standing or sitting around him- watching him.  
  
"Neo, what did you do to the sentinels when the Nebuchadnezzar was blown up?" Morpheus asked.  
  
"I'm not sure. All I know is that I could feel them. Like I feel the agents when I'm in the Matrix. And I felt that something was different. Like I did back in that hallway after I died and came back to life. I didn't know what, but I did something I had never done before, and I guess it overloaded my brain, the sheer amount of power I used."  
  
"How much power?" Niobe asked, eyes widening.  
  
"Well, I could almost feel myself taking power from the Sentinels themselves to use it against them, I'm not sure."  
  
The sounding of feet shifting echoed throughout the room.  
  
"Really?" Flash asked, concerned.  
  
"Yeah. That's what overloaded me. The fact that I was taking power from the same thing I was destroying. It backfired sort of. The fact that I was trying to take power and destroy at the same time, made my mind shut down. Like after you download too much information into a computer in a small amount of time- it overloads. That's what happened." Neo explained, trying to figure out himself what happened.  
  
"Do you think- if you were in your best shape, you could do it again, only without overloading your brain?" Niobe proposed.  
  
"Well, you see in order to do what I did, I need a lot of power, but not from the same source I'm trying to shut down. But then the whole ability of channeling the power from one source in order to use it to shut down another comes into play. And I'm not sure I can do that."  
  
"Would you like to try?" Morpheus asked.  
  
"Morpheus, allowing Neo to practice his abilities in the Matrix is one thing- it won't hurt him here. But to have him practice more dangerous powers in the real world- where if he is harmed, he really is harmed- I'm not sure he should do it." Trinity contended.  
  
"I understand Trinity, believe me, I have the same worries, but we need to know what Neo can do. Especially if it could seriously help us against Sentinels." Morpheus replied gently. "I'd like to try, but not on something big. Something small." Neo spoke up, ending the small argument.  
  
~~*~~  
  
"You've got be joking." Neo stated the moment he walked off the Logos and saw what the crewmates had chosen for him to "test" his skills with.  
  
"You said something small." Detrick replied sarcastically.  
  
"You never said HOW small." Sparks added, smiling.  
  
"It's a flashlight. The thing runs on two batteries for crying out loud." Neo replied, glaring at Sparks.  
  
"Hey- you said small. We scoured the ship for this little treasure, so you better enjoy it." Sparks shot back.  
  
"For what, all of two seconds? C'mon, what else did you find?" Neo inquired.  
  
"We found lamps, a clock, an old working laptop, and a small generator." Detrick replied, casting an arm around him at the small objects he spoke of.  
  
"Okay. I'll start with the flashlight, then the clock, then the laptop and finally the generator." Neo concluded, rubbing his hands together. "What have you found for my source of power?"  
  
"A second generator. It's a bit bigger than the other generator, so it'll last longer." Detrick replied.  
  
"Good. Let's get started then." Neo nodded towards Sparks, who placed the flashlight on a metal stool they had discovered in the dark recesses of their ship and turned it on.  
  
"We have to wait for everyone else." Detrick commented before Neo could do anything.  
  
"Why? If I can't do this at first, they don't need to know until I do get it." Neo countered.  
  
"Well, we need to wait for Flash at least, in case something happens."  
  
"And Trinity, she said she'd kill me if I let you start without her presence." Sparks added.  
  
Neo sighed, defeated. This would be a long day. 


	7. Draining the generator includes saying T...

"Oh my God."  
  
Neo had to smile at Trinity's reaction when he finally succeeded in what he was trying to do. He had caused the clock to explode when using the large generator's power. The only way anyone knew he was actually using the generator's power and not his mind was that when he took power from it mentally, the generator's glow darkened.  
  
"Okay then. That worked well. Uhhh, Sparks, you can stand up now, there are no other parts flying around." Neo laughed upon seeing Sparks flat on the ground.  
  
"Right then, onto the laptop. I'll just go stand with Trinity since she seems to be a safe distance away." Sparks commented, jogging over to Trinity on the exit ramp of the ship.  
  
"She's not. No one is. I'm just forcing the explosion not to go towards her since I don't want her harmed." Neo answered.  
  
"And you want me hurt?"  
  
"No, you're just much closer. The further away, the easier to stop the parts from going there, the closer, the harder because I have to react faster to stop more parts." Neo explained as he walked over to the laptop.  
  
Neo placed the laptop on the stool and backed up about 40 feet. Stretching out both hands, one directed at the generator, the other at the laptop, Neo concentrated on taking power from the generator and then shoving it into the laptop- overloading it's power source. As the laptop exploded into hundreds of parts, Neo moved his left hand towards Trinity, Flash, Detrick- who had joined Trinity before Neo had started his experiments-, and Sparks. Flash yelled out as he saw all the parts flying towards them. Flash, Detrick, and Sparks all hit the ramp on their stomachs, leaving Trinity to stand, unafraid. Just inches before most of the pieces would hit her- most likely severely harming her, all the pieces stopped in midair.  
  
"Showoff." Trinity called out.  
  
"You knew I'd stop them." Neo shot back.  
  
"Holy shit." Sparks muttered, staring up at the pieces "frozen" in the air above his head.  
  
"I think I've succeeded quite well, don't you think?" Neo commented.  
  
"Try the generator. Then we'll tell you whether you've succeeded or not." Flash challenged.  
  
"Move." Neo commanded, causing the four of them to back up to allow the pieces to drop.  
  
"I'm getting the rest of the crew to see this." Detrick yelled to Neo before he could finish walking over to the small generator.  
  
~~*~~  
  
"Neo, are you sure you can do this?" Niobe questioned from her position on the ramp.  
  
"Trust me."  
  
"Go ahead Neo, we won't move." Trinity implored gently.  
  
"I wouldn't advise it." Neo muttered under his breath.  
  
Stretching out his hands again, he focused on the generator for the last time. A gasp from the ramp could be heard as the small generator began to smoke and fizz while the large one began to go out- losing all its power. Neo stopped before it exploded, afraid he wouldn't be able to stop an explosion from something of that size from harming someone.  
  
"Wow. That was so, cool." Link commented, eyes bouncing from the sizzling generator to Neo and back again.  
  
"Yeah. I guess it is." Neo replied, smiling softly.  
  
~~*~~  
  
"So, what does this all mean in the long run?" Morpheus asked Neo once they entire crew went into the core for a meeting.  
  
"I don't know. I can only do what I did if I can take power from an alternate power source." Neo answered, shaking his head.  
  
"Would that alternate power source include a human?" Link asked.  
  
Neo paused a moment before answering.  
  
"No."  
  
"Oh, okay, good." Link answered.  
  
"A human has too many- complicated parts. More than a machine. We are constantly changing, our minds at least. Too many soft parts that can be damaged by doing that."  
  
"What do you mean, 'soft parts'?" Trinity asked, slightly miffed.  
  
"Well, we all like to think every one of us are tough, brutal, soldiers-" Neo began.  
  
"Which we are." Trinity interjected.  
  
"-But, we are still human, and humans are made up of bones, muscle, flesh, and blood. None of those things can really put up a fight against metal. Metal is hard, unchanging. We have constantly changing skin temperatures, blood flow, muscle flexes. Nothing's constant. Which is why it's dangerous to do this on a human. I don't even want to try to see if I can. I'm just going with the 'no I can't' answer." Neo finished, seemingly unfazed by Trinity's interruption.  
  
All the crewmembers were still trying to understand how these two could flow so well together, even in an argument, but only the closest of friends knew that later, these two would work off the anger from his comment and her interruption another way than talking. Morpheus smiled tightly both at Neo's explanation and the thought that Trinity would have some serious steam to work off from his comment that she had 'soft parts' like every other human. Trinity didn't like to let others, and sometimes even herself, know that she could be hurt, and was only human. Morpheus' thoughts were interrupted as some people began to get up- leaving the Core for lunch.  
  
As Morpheus exited, he smiled at the looks Neo was receiving from Trinity. No they most likely wouldn't be joining the crew for lunch today, though they needed it due to Neo's coma and Trinity's inability to leave his side for it's duration. Well, he would just keep the crew out of the Core for a few minutes longer to give them time to be presentable. Morpheus shook his head at the thought that he had to cover for them because of the uncontrollable need for each other. Well, someday they'd have to learn. Not today though. 


	8. Punishment is given before Morpheus' exp...

" 'Soft parts'?" Trinity asked the moment she and Neo were left alone in the Core.  
  
"Well, yeah. Your skin is soft, as are your muscles. Well, they may be strong and tough, but that's not the point. You are made up of tissue and bone, Trinity. Tissue isn't hard; it can be ripped and torn." Neo explained, hoping to avoid a fight.  
  
"I know, your right. It's just, I try to act more than human, tougher, so I can survive, and you go an smack me in the face about my humanity." Trinity sighed, watching Neo warily as he walked over to her.  
  
"I didn't intend any smacking. It's the truth, for anyone and everyone." Neo replied, his body inches from hers.  
  
Trinity looked at the position she was in and, upon glancing around, led Neo towards a plug-in chair. Pulling his lips to hers seconds before Neo pushed her into the chair, Trinity gripped his neck for support as she was lifted and slowly lowered into it. Neo climbed on top, slipping a hand around her back as the other cupped her face. Just as Neo's lips slid down to Trinity's bare collarbone, just as he slid a hand under her shirt and rested it on her sternum, just as Trinity moaned very softly in his ear, Niobe and Ghost came in, to bring them in for lunch.  
  
"Neo. Trinity." Niobe's stern, no-bullshit voice cut through all sex- related thoughts in both of their minds, bringing them back the very real and soon-to-be embarrassing present.  
  
Neo quickly jumped off the chair to allow Trinity to climb off before they stood, looking somewhat embarrassed about "being caught in the act".  
  
"You know, under some circumstances, I would only give you two a warning about this. I do not take make-out sessions on my ship on the equipment we use daily lightly. If I were to find you two doing- something in your room when you should be working, I can warn you, but this, I will not tolerate. Trinity and Neo, you are to be separated for one week. Neo, you can stay in your room, Ghost can room with you, and Trinity can take Ghost's room. I do not want to see you two doing ANYTHING other than working together like other crewmembers or I will make this separation longer." Niobe's anger calmed down at the shocked looks she received.  
  
"Wait, you're punishing us? For this?" Neo asked, gesturing towards the chair.  
  
"Yes Neo, do you have a problem with that? I am the ranking officer on this ship. Morpheus, despite the fact that he's a trusted friend and fellow Captain, is taking residence on this ship as you are. Even he at times must come to me for a decision. You may be the One in the Matrix, but here, you follow the rules on this ship."  
  
"Excuse me Niobe." Ghost quietly interjected.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Why must I give up my room?"  
  
Trinity allowed a small smile creep to her lips. Ghost, the ever-quiet one, was getting miffed about having to give up his room for a week. Trinity would laugh about the situation if it didn't mean she and Neo would be separated. Eyeing Morpheus in the doorway, Trinity could tell he'd tried to keep them out of the core, and he was a bit saddened by the turn of events.  
  
"One week?" Trinity questioned, raising her chin in a challenge.  
  
"One week, unless you give in sooner and I have to make it longer." Niobe responded, taking the challenge and throwing it in Trinity's face.  
  
"Fine." Trinity responded icily. Neo shivered at the change in both her mood and attitude. This was the Trinity he knew before he died and she brought him back. Cold, hard, ice. In one week, he was going to explode while she would draw more and more into herself.  
  
"Neo?" Niobe asked, her glance ticking to him.  
  
"Do I have much choice?" Neo asked sarcastically.  
  
"Not really." Niobe replied, tilting her head slightly.  
  
"Then you know my answer." Neo shot back coolly before leaving for the mess hall, Trinity following close behind.  
  
~~*~~  
  
"Niobe, why did you just do that?" Morpheus asked, his voice weary.  
  
"They need to know the difference between when they can have sex and when they can't. Why do you ask?" Niobe asked, turning towards Morpheus.  
  
"Because I've done it before, and I know what's going to happen."  
  
"What happened?"  
  
Morpheus took a seat in the Operator's chair before continuing.  
  
"For about two days they were fine, working great, albeit they were a little angry. On the fourth day it began, work progress began to slow down. Neo ate less, Trinity began to sleep less. On the fifth day, you could see two things. One, the need for each other for health reasons, and two, the very thick tension between them. When I had them work on something together, every accidental touch of hands added to the desire. By the end of the week, I called it off. It had originally been for ten days, but I knew they couldn't make it. They need each other, more than most people do.  
  
"Neo isn't the One without Trinity at his side. She is his counterpart, his other half, as he is hers. If one of them is gone from the other for a period of time, you can see the separation taking its toll on them. Weakness, no appetite, insomnia, they both get it. And it's amazing and scary at the same time." Morpheus explained.  
  
"Why scary?" Niobe inquired.  
  
"Because if one of them was ever to die, the other would surely follow soon thereafter. They can't live without each other. That's what's scary."  
  
"I see. Well, let's have this as a test then. They can still think it's a punishment but let's see how long they can go without." Niobe challenged, a slight smile playing on her lips.  
  
~~~~~~~~~  
  
Okay, I originally had this huge comment at the end to leave you with before the next chapter, but since I put it up right after this one, I saw no point. Enjoy and review! 


	9. Ghost talks with Neo who loses a fight w...

"Well, I guess you know the drill about my room. Sleep well." Ghost held his pillow under his arm as he nodded to Trinity before leaving.  
  
Trinity sat, unmoving on Ghost's bed, feeling cold and alone. Glancing at the back wall, Trinity couldn't help but smile at the bookcase crammed with books on faith, Gods and Goddesses, religion, death and rebirth, and myths. Trinity smiled at the book on myths. She remembered when he would read that book to her while in Zion. Many years ago, seemed like a lifetime. Sighing, Trinity resigned to the truth that Neo and she would only see each other as often as other crewmembers saw each other. As she lay down on the bed, Trinity wondered what Ghost and Neo were doing right now.  
  
~~*~~  
  
"I must ask, how do you fit two people on a bed almost too small for one person?" Ghost asked, an eyebrow arched in question.  
  
"Well, we sleep half on top of each other." Neo responded, shrugging.  
  
"I see. Okay, well, I'll go find some extra blankets or pillows and make a makeshift bed on the floor." Ghost tossed his pillow down, turning to leave.  
  
"I'll help." Neo stood, stepping towards the door where Ghost was.  
  
"Thanks." Ghost replied, smiling softly.  
  
As Ghost walked out, Neo followed him to the ladder before descending down several levels to the deep bowels of the ship. Rummaging around crates of seemingly random objects, Neo asked,  
  
"Where do you get all this stuff?"  
  
"It's the belongings of former crewmates or stuff we pick up." Ghost answered quietly.  
  
"Oh. Sorry." Neo apologized.  
  
"It's all right. I mean, this is a war, people die. It's hard to deal with, but it happens. Things go wrong." Ghost replied.  
  
"True." The conversation died, leaving Neo feeling slightly uncomfortable. After almost 20 minutes, Ghost broke the silence.  
  
"I'm glad for you and her you know."  
  
Neo's head snapped up from the crate he was looking in.  
  
"Thank you."  
  
"She has many layers. Not many people are able to get through it all and find the real human in her. Morpheus did it, you did it, and I did it. The lucky few." Ghost smiled wanly.  
  
Neo knew that some men may feel jealous, but he wasn't. The knowledge that Trinity and Ghost's relationship went no further than sibling love kept him from getting upset. Ghost taught Trinity about philosophy in the Real World and helped her find her feet while becoming a trusted friend when she was first unplugged. A few years older in unplugged age, Ghost was much more reserved than Trinity, who could occasionally lash out in anger.  
  
"Yes, lucky." Neo nodded, breaking out of his thoughts.  
  
~~*~~  
  
"Neo, I'm going to need you and Detrick up in the Core when you're done eating." Niobe said upon poking her head into the mess hall. Gaining a nod from both, Niobe glanced at Trinity's back before exiting.  
  
"I wonder what she needs us for?" Detrick asked, turning his head towards Neo.  
  
Everyone had been informed about Neo and Trinity's separation, which Neo found out quickly when he sat down, Detrick and Flash immediately sat on either side of him. Resigning to only being able to have Trinity across the table, Neo began eating. Trinity had obviously stiffened upon noticing the seating arrangements when she had entered. Neo had immediately noticed the change, but he could tell no one else did.  
  
"I'm not sure. Probably some re-wiring or something." Neo commented with a shrug.  
  
"Trinity, can you come with me to check out the engines?" Ghost asked.  
  
"Sure." Trinity rose and cleaned out her dish before following Ghost out the door, feeling Neo's eyes on her back the entire time.  
  
~~*~~  
  
"Neo, good, I'm going to need you to go into the engine room to help Detrick and I find out what's malfunctioning in the cockpit. I know Trinity's down there, but so is Ghost, and I trust that you will behave?" Niobe cast a warning glance at Neo before he nodded and left.  
  
Upon climbing down to the engine room, carrying a headset to hear Niobe's commands, Neo spotted Ghost and Trinity, their backs to him.  
  
"Hey!" Neo yelled over the sound.  
  
Ghost and Trinity turned from what they were doing, a bit shocked.  
  
"Neo, Niobe wants you over there, Trinity, go with him to help him out, I can do this." Ghost yelled commands back.  
  
Trinity nodded, and after watching Neo put on the headset, showed him where they had to be.  
  
~ "Neo, flip the four gray switches off. Count to 30 and flip them back on." ~ Niobe's voiced commanded through the headset.  
  
Neo nodded before reaching towards the switches. As Trinity reached too, in order to help, their hands bumped together, sending a shock of electricity down Neo's spine. Apologizing softly before reaching again, Neo couldn't help but hope for more contact. While counting silently to 30, Neo's gaze locked with Trinity's, a look speaking volumes without uttering a sound. Flipping the switches up again, Neo flinched back as one switch overloaded and burst a wire that flipped out and hit his out stretched hand, cutting it.  
  
"Neo!" Trinity called out before moving quickly to him, cradling his wounded hand in her two. Grabbing the headset off of Neo, Trinity told Niobe that a wire short-circuited from turning the switches back on and cut Neo.  
  
"Okay, take him to the infirmary. When he's cleaned up, tell us." Niobe replied.  
  
Trinity dropped the head set to the floor before lifting his hand to her lips, breaking the rules of punishment- yet Neo wasn't about to complain. After telling Ghost where they were going, Trinity and Neo headed off to the infirmary. 


	10. Neo and Trinity break the rules

"Flash!" Trinity called out when she and Neo entered the infirmary together.  
  
Flash poked his head out from under the medical table.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Neo was hurt while working in the engine room. Niobe had me bring him up." Trinity replied calmly.  
  
"Okey dokey, let's clean you up and check you out then. Come on over and sit on the table." Flash gestured towards the bare slab of metal before turning towards a sink and filling a small bowl with water.  
  
"Ouch. That's looks painful, how'd it happen?" Flash asked as he began to gently clean the wound with soap and water.  
  
Wincing slightly, Neo responded, "When I turned the power switches to the cockpit back on, a wire burst and got me."  
  
"Damn. I hope that didn't do anymore damage to the cockpit."  
  
"I don't think it did." Neo replied, gazing over Flash's shoulder to a spot on the wall.  
  
"Well, let me just put some ointment on it and then wrap it up and you'll be fine. Try not to flex it too much or shit like that. You get me?" Flash asked as he proceeded to rub a yellow-ish ointment on Neo's hand.  
  
"Got it." A moment passed in silence as Neo and Trinity watched Flash wrap Neo's hand up.  
  
"All right. That should do it. Check back later so I can make sure it doesn't get infected." Flash commented as Neo slide off the metal slab.  
  
Nodding, Neo turned, only to stop and stare at Bane, still in a coma.  
  
"How's he doing?" Neo asked absently.  
  
"Eeh, no change. Still, there are abnormal readings for his vital statistics. Like he's not himself." Flash waved his hand at the monitors.  
  
"Hmmm. Well, I better get back to the engines. Thanks." Neo smiled before turning to leaving, following Trinity out.  
  
~~*~~  
  
-Five Days Later-  
  
"My God, Neo looks so, so, miserable." Sparks commented to Morpheus on the sixth day of Neo and Trinity's punishment.  
  
"Mmmm. I agree, but so does Trinity. I can bet you, before the day is out, they'll find a way." Morpheus.  
  
"They'd be breaking the punishment rules." Sparks argued.  
  
"Since when did either of them listen to rules? Half the time they ignore what I tell them to do in the Matrix and out. The only time they listen and follow commands every time they are given is when it's one of them commanding the other. Trinity obeys Neo in the Matrix and Neo almost always obeys Trinity in the real world. It's how they work so well together. When their views collide, a fight ensues. Which, granted doesn't occur often, but when it does-." Morpheus trailed off.  
  
"What happens?" Sparks asked, intrigued.  
  
Link, who had entered during Morpheus' explanation, continued where he had left off.  
  
"Well, the fight involves many curses and insults, objects being thrown-"  
  
"Thrown?" Sparks asked, shocked.  
  
"Yeah, though that only happens once Neo has really pissed Trinity off. Which he follows up, throwing something back, not at her of course, just back. Eventually someone shows true, hard core emotion and the fight collapses." Link finished, taking a seat in the second Operator's chair.  
  
"Then what happens?"  
  
"Well, they forgive each other in the most passionate act of human survival." Morpheus replied with a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.  
  
"Oh. Wow. They never tire of one another? I mean, they are always around each other, and generally after you're in a relationship for some time, it cools down. It seems like they never do." Sparks continued, trying to understand.  
  
"I know what you mean, but daily they risk their lives. It kindles a fire that never dies because it's that daily clash with death that makes them want to remember and prove that they are alive. It's also a way to assert that their lover is not gone. Neo and Trinity have both died, and they brought each other back to life. That's why they never grow tired of one another or 'cool down', as you say. They have lost what they hold most dear, and have gotten it back because they simply won't LET the other go. That's the power that amazes every observer of their love." Morpheus took a breath, watching Sparks' reaction.  
  
"So your saying that they will break any and all rules just to be together? Even in the real world?"  
  
Smiling softly at the knowledge that right this moment Neo was about to break the rules, Morpheus replied, "Something like that."  
  
~~*~~  
  
Neo slid down the ladder before stepping on the last two rungs for the main deck. Walking as stealthily as possible, Neo moved into the mess hall. Upon finding who he expected to find there, he turned away, going back towards the ladder, a signal to no one but his lover to follow him. As he got onto the deck where the crewmembers' quarters were, Neo wasn't surprised to see Trinity climbing off the ladder behind him. Walking down the hall to Ghost's quarters, Trinity walked in behind Neo before closing the door tightly, hoping no one would come in.  
  
"Six days." Neo whispered from across the small room. "I thought we might make it."  
  
"But," Trinity whispered back, moving forward to press her forehead against his.  
  
"But it was either die from the need to be with you or throw Niobe's ruling out the window and give in."  
  
"Like you always do." Trinity reminded him, a small smile playing across her features as she captured Neo's lips with her own.  
  
Neo gasped as their mouths opened, inviting tongues to clash. Taking her slowly down onto the bed, Neo felt the desire that had been building all week, push to crash down in waves and sensed Trinity struggling with the same problem. Clothes were shed quickly as the fire of desire burned brightly. His heart racing, Neo slid his hands up Trinity's sides, slowly letting go of all rational thought, but the moment he felt Trinity's lips against his neck, he forgot to think. Everything became reactions, wants, needs and desires.  
  
And he gave in, like Trinity said. He gave in to her body's curves melding perfectly against his own as he rocked against her. He gave in as they fought to keep their passionate act silent but still furious. He gave in to her fingers pressing against his back, palm damp. He gave in to a soft moan that he could not hold back. He gave in to the crashing waves of pleasure. He gave in to her. Always to her.  
  
As they lay, tangled together, hearts racing in unison, the door slowly opened, leaving barely enough time for Neo to grab a blanket and pull it over their naked bodies.  
  
"Trinity, I was just- Oh, well, umm, hmmm." Sparks turned, taking an immediate interest in the metal door, trying to find a way around this embarrassing moment.  
  
"Yes Sparks?" Trinity asked, sounding not a bit embarrassed, her tone all serious, sounding as if he'd just walked in on her reading instead of right after having sex.  
  
"Well, I was gonna tell you that Niobe wanted to ask you something, but may I should just go tell her that you guys gave in."  
  
"Would you really do that?" Trinity asked impassively.  
  
Fumbling for a moment, his façade broke. "No."  
  
"Okay then, when do I have to see her?" Trinity asked, moving back to the cause for the interruption.  
  
"As soon as you are ready- or as least presentable." At the last comment Sparks smiled and closed the door.  
  
"I swear, he can be worse than Link." Neo commented the moment the door shut.  
  
"Mmmm. Well, I might as well go get ready." Trinity sat up, slowly pushing Neo off.  
  
"We may have broken the rules, but I'm not sorry. Are you?" Neo asked offhand as he pulled his clothes on.  
  
Trinity paused as she pulled her shirt on, then finished before leaning over and placing a soft kiss on his lips. Pulling back, she replied,  
  
"No, and I never will be." 


	11. Another anomaly sends the crew back into...

"Morpheus? I just found Trinity in Ghost's room with Neo." Sparks burst into the mess hall, and finding it empty save the Neb's captain, spilled on what he just saw.  
  
"Is that all?" Morpheus asked, arching an eyebrow.  
  
"They were naked, and tangled together."  
  
"Mmmm, I didn't think they'd make it a week either. But six days, that's a new record." Morpheus mused on the news.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Well, when I did the same thing to them, and they think I don't know it, they slept together each night, with Neo leaving to his room before the lights went on. Even though I ordered them not to sleep in the same room. They still believe I didn't know. But they usually can't stay away from each other, intimately, for more than two days. Six is amazing." Morpheus concluded, standing to wash his dish. "I'll go tell Niobe."  
  
"Wait, if she knows, then they'll get in trouble, right?" Sparks asked, not wanting a death wish from Trinity if they got in trouble because he blabbered.  
  
"No, no, not at all. After they left, Niobe decided to let them and everyone else think it was a punishment, but instead it's a test to see how long they can make it without each other. It's just that she doesn't want sex-related acts taking place on important machinery." Morpheus smiled softly, explaining.  
  
"Well, I doubt they will after this past week." Sparks commented as Morpheus left, nodding in agreement.  
  
~~*~~  
  
"Trinity, I'm glad you could make it. Morpheus, I wasn't expecting you, but come in also, you'll eventually need to hear this." Niobe gestured for them both to take a seat in the pilot and co-pilot's seats while she stood.  
  
Both sat, waiting for Niobe to continue.  
  
"An anomaly has been found in the Matrix. Before you ask, let me finish. In one section of the Matrix, there have been many new additions of coding that were never there before. But it's not normal coding, nor agent coding. It's just, so different. We can't figure it out."  
  
"We?" Morpheus asked, arching an eyebrow.  
  
"Ghost, Detrick, Link and myself."  
  
"So what do you want us to do?" Trinity asked.  
  
"I need you to find out what's going on in that area." Niobe replied, looking at Trinity.  
  
"You mean you want Neo to go in with a team." Trinity bluntly stated.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"No."  
  
"Excuse me?" Niobe asked, shocked.  
  
No. I won't let him go in so soon after everything his mind has gone through. It might not be strong enough to deal with this new, anomaly." Trinity shot back.  
  
"Trinity." Morpheus began, silencing her. "I don't want him to go in right now either, but if something went wrong, he'd be the only person capable of protecting himself and the others. Whether his mind is strong enough to deal, we'll find out. If it isn't, then we'll take him out, with some examples of coding. That way, he can work on it in the Construct, without the danger."  
  
Trinity's blank expression gave him no hint as to her approval or disproval. But her answer unnerved him slightly.  
  
"Fine." Trinity replied without a hint of emotion. Looking up towards Niobe, she asked,  
  
"Are we done?"  
  
Upon seeing Niobe nod, Trinity stood and left, walking to the ladder and climbing down.  
  
"Morpheus? Something else?" Niobe asked, her glance landing on the other captain's face.  
  
"Yes. Sparks just informed me that when he went to tell Trinity that you wanted to see her, he found her in Ghost's room."  
  
"And that's bad because-?" Niobe asked, arching an eyebrow.  
  
"He found her and Neo on the bed, naked."  
  
"Ahh. I see. Hmm. Well, six days. Not bad I guess." Niobe nodded, taking the empty seat opposite Morpheus.  
  
"Not bad? That's amazing. They have never gone longer than two days."  
  
"Yes, but they don't know me as well, and they don't know if I'm as forgiving as you." Niobe added, raising a finger to emphasize her point.  
  
"Right. Well, still, it's good." Morpheus continued, standing.  
  
"Yes, you're right. Well, we better prep the Core for a mission." Niobe slapped her hands on her thighs before pushing up and standing, following Morpheus out.  
  
~~*~~  
  
"So this is basically a reconnaissance mission? Go in, find out what we need to and get out?" Neo asked as he took a seat.  
  
"Yup. Except getting out is harder." Link replied, typing a few codes into the monitor.  
  
"Harder? How?" Trinity asked from her own seat.  
  
"Like, you're in the uhhh, well, you're near the Nile river if that helps."  
  
"Wait, I didn't think our ships' power aimed at different countries, never mind different continents." Detrick asked, sliding into his chair.  
  
"No, it can put you guys wherever we choose, our missions are generally centered in the main cities of the United States." Sparks informed, pressing several keys. "Niobe, everyone's seated, they just need to be plugged in and then off to the Construct."  
  
"All right, Flash?" Niobe nodded towards the row of soldiers.  
  
"Got it." Flash walked swiftly over to each crewmate, and thrust the needles into their heads.  
  
Once everyone was in the Construct, the rows upon rows of weapons appeared and five people wandered around, quickly pulling out various weapons. They would inspect them before either putting them back, or putting them in holsters. Sparks watched as each member found someone else before all five were together again. Link smiled at all the choices of weapons before pressing 'Enter' and sending them in.  
  
~~*~~  
  
The phone rang several times as each person's RSI appeared inside the Matrix. Each person glanced around at the arrival point, a run down mining building. A single phone on the wall rung- discolored and faded from its years of use and neglect. Morpheus strode over and picked it up, slicing the sharp ring.  
  
"We're in." 


	12. A Big Thank You

I think it's time for me to give out thanks to everyone who has majorly supported and reviewed my fics, especially this one.  
  
Dreamingofani: Ellie, you are the greatest. From helping me think out intricate plots at 2am, to listening to me torment you with little clips of future chapters. Giving me advice and encouragment, as well as friendship, thank you. I think I've got a solid idea on how Ghost will grow into the one we later know. Keep reading, I'm gonna go write chapter 17 now!  
  
Trinity.: Always reviewing, and always positive. Thank you. I only update this fast because I personally hate waiting weeks upon months for an author to update (shame to all who do and are reading this). If I enjoy a fic, I want to read more and more. So I update fast, partially because of you always asking for me too.  
  
GirQueen13, MD, Audrey A, and Alex: I hope I can keep writing up to your expectations. You all seem to always enjoy my chapters, so I try to raise the bar and keep it there for your four reviews. Thank you.  
  
Kenora Hazel Saul: Thank you. I try to write the characters true to form. It's hard to do, but I think I pull it off. I also try not to make everything pure fluff or pure "blow-up" action. I try to blend and mix. Tell me if I don't.  
  
Thanks go out to everyone who reviewed. I enjoy getting the feedback, it encourages me to keep trying to keep going, and it does help to know that I have people who are waiting for and wanting another chapter. I promise that this story does have a plot, I'm just getting to it slowly. I have written 5 chapters ahead of where I've updated so I know. This story will slowly form into a prequel of Changing the Tides. If any readers have not read that story, please do. It'll make you smile when you see how each person is unplugged, or how each person changes into the person they become in Changing the Tides (think Ghost). I again ask, as always: reviews please. They make me smile every time- and they also make me want to update faster. That's why you've gotten four chapters in three days. 


	13. Getting into the anomaly is easier than ...

The group walked out into the sunlight, immediately feeling the heat blazing down on them. Walking quickly to a car and two motorcycles, the group stood deciding who would ride in or on what, before Trinity and Neo moved towards the separate motorcycles. Neo paused a moment before flipping out his cell phone, dialing Link.  
  
"Operator."  
  
"Link, I need to learn how to ride a motorcycle."  
  
Link nodded before typing furiously. Pressing 'Enter', he watched the eyelids on Neo's sleeping form flutter before going still again.  
  
Neo closed the phone and swung a leg over the sleek, black Ducati, smiling at the memory of his last ride on one. Revving the engine slightly, he kicked into gear and lined up next to Trinity, behind the black sedan. Inside the car, Morpheus opened his phone to call Sparks.  
  
"Operator."  
  
"Sparks, just where are we going exactly?"  
  
"Well, you see a sign up ahead? Follow its directions. We don't know what to expect, just, something different." Sparks replied before hearing the phone shut off.  
  
~~*~~  
  
After almost and hour, Neo swung his bike closer to Trinity's so he could speak to her.  
  
"Trinity, where the hell are we going?"  
  
Trinity shook her head in response before tapping her phone, indicating he should call Morpheus, which he did.  
  
"Yes? Neo. What is it, is something wrong back there?"  
  
"No. Nothing like that, I was just wondering if something was going to happen in maybe the next five years."  
  
"If you would like, we'll pull over and you can fly ahead. You're much faster flying than any car driving." Morpheus replied.  
  
"All right. Let's do that." Neo hung up his phone as he watched Ghost drive off to the side of the road.  
  
"Neo, what's this all about?" Trinity asked, killing her engine.  
  
Morpheus got out of the car, with Detrick and Ghost following quickly behind.  
  
"Neo, are you sure you want to do this?"  
  
"Yeah. We are already too far away from any hard-line to be safe. This is just plain, dangerous. If we keep driving, and something goes wrong, we could never get out in time. I'll just go ahead, I'll be back as quickly as possible."  
  
"I'll go with you." Trinity moved to his side quickly.  
  
"Trinity-" Neo began but was cut off by Morpheus.  
  
"That's a good idea. It is reconnaissance, and four eyes are better than two."  
  
Neo nodded before turning and walking into the middle of the road, Trinity following closely behind. Grabbing her around the waist, Neo bent slightly, one hand forming into a fist before pushing off the ground. Trinity gripped him tightly as he flew, passing nothing but open land. After about five minutes of nothing, Neo stopped in midair, flipping open his phone and adjusting his grip on Trinity.  
  
"Operator." Sparks and Link called in unison.  
  
"Guys, where am I, in reference to farming land or something, where the fuck am I?" Neo asked, slightly irritated.  
  
"Well, according to us, you're right in the middle of a city, but then again, your coding is right in the middle of all the new coding. Though it's like a funnel, you're in the middle and nothing is touching you, it's just, going around you." Sparks replied, fingers pressing a few buttons.  
  
"And the others? Are they in too?"  
  
"No. They're about and mile out of it."  
  
"So we're right in the middle of all the new coding and I'm supposed to see a city underneath me?" Neo asked, trying to get everything straight.  
  
"Yup. Do you?" Link questioned.  
  
"Link, there's nothing but sand as far as my eyes can see."  
  
"Look at the coding for yourself." Link replied, waving his hands at the screen.  
  
Neo sighed before switching off the phone and putting it back in his coat.  
  
"So, we're in the middle of the exact thing we're just supposed to be looking at?" Trinity asked, an eyebrow arched just above her glasses.  
  
"Uh huh. Hold on to me a little tighter, I may lose my grip."  
  
"Why?" Trinity asked, gripping him a bit harder.  
  
"Because I'm going to look at the code and I'm not sure what I'm going to see." Neo replied, blinking to see the coding that was the Matrix.  
  
Flying backwards a few feet, Neo ripped his glasses off, eyes wide. Trinity could tell they were focusing on something she could not see, something that wasn't there, or was, if you really thought about it. His eyes moved, back and forth, as if reading a book.  
  
"Holy shit. What the hell is this?" Neo mumbled.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"The coding, it's- it's- I'm not sure what it is." Neo tilted his head, concentrating. "It's not normal."  
  
"3-D?" Trinity asked.  
  
"No. Looks 4-D. Its too damn complicated, if I keep looking at it-"  
  
"Stop. Neo," Trinity placed a hand on his cheek as she tightened her hold on his shoulders. Turning his face towards hers, Trinity could tell he was still looking at code. She pulled his lips to hers to break his concentration. Silently congratulating herself on succeeding in making him not look at code anymore, she savored the few moments they kissed before pulling away.  
  
"Thanks." Neo whispered, letting out his breath.  
  
"Anytime." Trinity replied, smiling gently. "If I hadn't done that, would you have still been looking at code?"  
  
"Yeah, it pulled me in, so I couldn't get out, I was so confused. Then when I looked at you, I saw the much simpler coding of the normal Matrix human, which calmed me down, but then you kissed me, which forced me to stop looking in code."  
  
"What did you see?"  
  
Neo closed his eyes for a moment before responding.  
  
"Something that shouldn't be here. We'd better get back, I want to make a sample of this in the Construct and try to figure it out." Neo turned and began flying. As he came to the area where the new coding ended and the regular Matrix coding began, Neo slammed into an invisible wall.  
  
"Neo!" Trinity cried out, wincing in pain.  
  
"I'm sorry, I don't know-" Neo stopped and quickly pulled out the phone and dialed.  
  
"What the hell just happened?" Neo asked, not waiting for either Operator to speak.  
  
"I don't know, one minute your coding is flying through the new coding, and the next, it's like, a wall came up, blocking you from getting to the normal coding." Link replied, his voice wavering.  
  
"Not shit. I figured that out when I slammed into it. But why is it doing this?" Neo replied. He wanted an answer, not a summary.  
  
"Look, the new coding has somehow locked you into it. I don't know what's inside that coding, or who. I don't know whether it's bad or good. My bets are on bad. The only thing you have going for you is that it's not touching you." Sparks responded slowly.  
  
"Yeah, but when I look at the coding, I feel as if something's reaching into my mind, picking my thoughts apart and I can't stop it." Neo replied.  
  
"Well, don't look at then coding, and hope it doesn't decide to touch you." Link answered.  
  
"What if I made it?" Neo asked.  
  
"What?" Sparks was taken aback at the idea.  
  
"What if I made it touch made, interact with me, like the regular Matrix is supposed to?" Neo explained.  
  
"Well, just wait for us to get everyone else out before. We'll call you when everyone's back." Sparks concluded.  
  
"Fine." Neo answered, closing the phone.  
  
"So what are we doing?" Trinity asked as he put the phone away.  
  
"Nothing stupid." Neo replied dryly, getting a look of annoyance shot at him from Trinity. 


	14. Time for Trinity to be restless and Neo ...

Neo sat, back against the invisible barrier, watching Trinity slowly pace back and forth.  
  
"You know, you would be less tired if you sat."  
  
"If I sit I'll get restless. How long does it take for the group to get out?"  
  
"One hour, if there are no complications." Neo replied, shaking his long coat off and opening the first two buttons on his shirt.  
  
Trinity had tossed her coat to the ground long before, but he wasn't moving, so he wasn't as hot. Knowing that the sun wasn't real didn't do much to keep its heat from making them sweat in the Matrix desert.  
  
"Well then, how long has it been?" Trinity asked, pausing mid step.  
  
"Almost forty-five." Neo replied, adjusting his sitting position to be more comfortable. "The only good news about this is that sentinel attacks will be next to none since they think they wiped us out, and that we won't starve as long as the crew gives us IVs."  
  
"I hope we're not in here that long." Trinity replied.  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Because, I don't like being in the Matrix for extended periods of time, much less a place that we don't know for an extended period of time." Trinity explained, resuming her pacing.  
  
"Do you know if there are any hard-lines around here?" Neo asked.  
  
"If there were, do you really think we'd still be here?" Off Neo's hurt look, "I'm sorry, just, why do you ask?"  
  
"Because I was thinking we could get a change of clothes. It's too damn hot to be wearing black clothing, much less pants and long-sleeved shirts." Neo replied, turning his head to one side.  
  
"It's not real." Trinity replied, but her glistening skin said otherwise.  
  
"Yeah, but that doesn't make it feel any less real." Neo shot back, running a hand through his hair.  
  
The conversation died until a phone's ring sliced through the silence. Neo jumped in shock before grabbing his coat and taking the phone out. Trinity walked over and sat beside him.  
  
"Talk to me." Neo said upon opening the phone.  
  
"What did the code look like when you looked at it?" Morpheus' voice cut through, ignoring Neo's statement.  
  
"Well, it looked really complicated. I'd say it was 4-D, but I'm not sure. It was hexagon upon hexagon upon octagon upon octagon in a double helix sort of coding. Really weird. And the most unusual part is that is was blue coding. Not green, but blue." Neo replied, retelling what he saw.  
  
"Blue?" Both Morpheus and Trinity asked.  
  
"Blue." Neo replied, nodding.  
  
"Hmmm. Neo, tell Trinity to open her phone, so she can hear what I'm going to say."  
  
Neo nodded to Trinity who got out her phone and opened it, placing it against her ear. Morpheus flipped a switch, enabling both of them to hear him at the same time.  
  
"Blue coding usually means something or someone hacking into the Matrix program from an outside source, not like our pirate signal, but something else." Morpheus answered after he could hear Trinity's quiet breathing.  
  
"Like what? An unplugged hacking from his laptop somewhere else in the Real World?" Neo asked, trying to grasp the information.  
  
"No. Well, possibly, but not likely. More of, a program within a program, that hacked out into the Real World and is hacking back in."  
  
"What?" Neo asked, eyes widening.  
  
"What the hell or who the hell would do that?" Trinity questioned.  
  
"Someone who didn't know they were hacking in and out of the very program they live in, or believe they live in." Morpheus calmly replied.  
  
"Okay, well, would they be in this place?" Neo asked.  
  
"Presumably, yes. But to find them, you have to figure out the coding enough to hack it and search. You can't just walk around the entire place, expecting to walk into them. They don't KNOW that they're doing this. What you need to do, is make a key of the coding, to understand it, then search for the source."  
  
"Morpheus, when he looked at the coding, he couldn't stop, it wouldn't let him." Trinity interjected.  
  
"Well, how did he stop?" Morpheus inquired.  
  
Trinity paused before responding.  
  
"I kissed him."  
  
"Good, then do that every time."  
  
"What if the coding somehow fights back? Like when a disease gets used to a drug and then the drug can't be used anymore because it's not strong enough."  
  
"Then do more than a kiss." Morpheus concluded.  
  
Trinity nodded, but didn't respond.  
  
"Neo, we'll be working here to decipher the coding, but since you're the One and since you're in there, you might have a better chance. We'll call you every hour, whether we made any progress or not. Sound good?" Morpheus asked.  
  
"Yeah. Okay." Neo replied before shutting off the phone. "Deciphering, right. Just as easy as regular coding. Right." Neo mumbled.  
  
"Your afraid of looking at the coding again." Trinity stated.  
  
Neo turned to look at her before nodding slowly.  
  
"It's okay to be afraid. We're allowed to be afraid. But we also need you to do this." Trinity slid her hand into his and gave it a squeeze.  
  
Neo smiled tightly before standing, still gripping her hand. Removing his glasses, Neo closed his eyes. In the darkness, Trinity's voice calmed his nerves.  
  
"Remember, I'm here, and I'm not letting go."  
  
Neo smiled again, before opening his eyes to the confusion of blue coding.  
  
~~~~~  
  
And just what does he find out? Hmmm? I promise next chapter will be the beginning of the prequel. Well, I'm off to go write chapter 19. Seems weird huh? I've just posted chapter 14 and I'm on 19. Oh well. I like being ahead of the game. More fun for me. Adios! 


	15. The domino effect

Look at me! Writing a blurb/comment before the story! Weeeee! 'Tis fun. Anyway, from this chapter on, I will try to keep a workable plot going from what I began last chapter. I haven't figured out just yet what will happen. I think it has something to do with ending the Matrix (but when doesn't it) or possibly scrubbing bubbles, maybe green and blue bubbles.No, no, have no fear, I'm not falling into humor land. Strictly romance/action/adventure w/ the little twist of comedy now and then. Just on a happy spree (I wrote this AND the last two chapters all in one night, despite being posted at different intervals) is all. I'm also stopping to say, thank you and I hope you truly enjoy what I write. Well, I better let you get to what you want in the first place! Have fun!!!!!!  
  
~~~~~~  
  
Morpheus laid down on the double cot- the only solution if two people wanted to sleep on a bed in the same room- that he and Niobe shared. Waiting for sleep to claim him, he heard Niobe enter the dark room, sit on the edge of the bed and take her boots off. Almost as if she knew he'd be awake, she spoke softly into the blackness of the room:  
  
"Do you think we'll get them out soon?"  
  
"Yes. If anything, Neo will figure out something. For now, two person shifts to watch the Matrix and attempt to decipher the new code should work. I'll add an IV to both of them on my shift with Ghost later." Morpheus quietly replied.  
  
"All right. I do hope nothing goes wrong. I don't want them hurt." Niobe commented, almost to herself.  
  
"Neo won't hurt himself without Trinity putting up a strong fight to stop him. And Trinity won't hurt herself because Neo simply won't let her. The only thing we need to worry about is what may happen when they touch the code. They'll take care of each other." Morpheus responded. "Now, you should get some sleep Niobe. You haven't slept in over 36 hours."  
  
Niobe smiled tightly at the concern she heard in his voice. Lying down next to him, Niobe relished in the warmth Morpheus' body gave off.  
  
~~*~~  
  
Waking a few hours later by the knock on his door, Morpheus stared down at the spectacle in front of him. Niobe had turned her back into his chest, and was gripping his hand. Pushing down the emotions yelling to be freed, Morpheus slowly slipped out of her grip and stood, taking his boots and shirt out with him into the hallway.  
  
"Morning sir, Ghost is already down in the Core." Link smiled slightly, taking in the sleepy form of his captain pulling a shirt over his head and sliding into his boots.  
  
"Thank you Link, go get some rest."  
  
Link nodded, and turned, walking down several doors before opening one and slipping in.  
  
~~*~~  
  
"Okay, has anyone found anything yet?" Morpheus asked Ghost when he entered the core.  
  
"Kind of. Neo figured out some of the coding, but Trinity forced him to stop for fear of a brain overload. She was right too; his brainwaves were way above normal. He was pushing too far. Now they're much better, they're sleeping." Ghost waved at the screens.  
  
"And in the rest of the Matrix?" Morpheus inquired, taking a seat in the second Operator's chair.  
  
"Quiet as a tomb. Or at least as quiet as it usually is." Ghost replied, sighing quietly.  
  
"When do we make the call?"  
  
"Five minutes. I don't want to wake them, but I guess if we don't they'll be worried." Ghost replied.  
  
"I'll give them two to four days rest when they get back, we'll make the call." Morpheus rubbed his face with a hand before sliding it over his scalp.  
  
Minutes later, Morpheus picked up the headset, and made the call to Neo's cell phone.  
  
~  
  
The shrill ring of the phone caused them both to wake with a jolt. Neo grabbed the phone, wrenching it open.  
  
"Neo, you can sleep for half a week when you get out of there. Until then, we need you working."  
  
"Morpheus, if I keep working, my head is going to split in two. All I've deciphered is about a tenth of the actual coding, but just finding every code that I know and changing it so I can see it outside of code is too much to handle at once." Neo rubbed the bridge of his nose.  
  
"I know. Ghost figured a way to help. Just tell us the code key that you know and we'll change it from here. It'll be much quicker and easier. Besides, don't you remember, the domino effect?"  
  
"Huh?" Neo asked, sitting up straighter, feeling Trinity shift her weight to sit more comfortably.  
  
"If you decipher one part, the rest will fall into place because you've broken the chain. It'll dissolve, revealing something other than a barren wasteland." Morpheus explained.  
  
"Oh. Okay." Neo blinked, slowly understanding.  
  
A few minutes later, Morpheus and Ghost began typing furiously on both keypads, typing the pieces of the key that Neo knew. Suddenly, the shroud around the coding dissolved, showing up on the screens as it's true color- blue, and Neo and Trinity saw a vast, empty city.  
  
"Morpheus, it worked. We'll go in, try to find out whatever we can." Neo spoke into the phone before closing it.  
  
Trinity and Neo picked up their coats and pulled them on- night had caused the temperature to drop sharply- as they began a cautious trek into the city.  
  
Stopping at a tavern, Neo pushed open the door. Finding no one around, Neo walked over to the bar and flipped some of the switches- lights blinked on, casting a soft, yellow glow about the place.  
  
"Neo, electricity means possible phone lines."  
  
"Wait, I want to find the guy who made this. They could help us."  
  
"How?" Trinity asked skeptically.  
  
"I'm not sure yet." Neo replied. "There must be a main power station around here to switch on all the power."  
  
"Mmmm. You're right, let's go." Trinity slipped off the stool as Neo came back around the bar.  
  
Slipping back out into the black night, two shadows slide along the edges of buildings, not noticing a third shadow a short distance back. Neo grabbed Trinity's hand as he pulled her towards the power station. A moment later however, the relief on his face dissipated. Trinity watched in confusion as his face became taut and inexpressive. Before she could voice her concern, he placed a hand over her mouth and pulled her into the dark shadows where the moonlight could not reach. Upon releasing his hand from her mouth, Trinity knew better than to ask questions. Her answers came quickly upon seeing the figure moving silently around the corner.  
  
Neo waited a few moments, allowing the figure to get closer. Jumping out as one, Neo and Trinity quickly tackled the figure and proceeded to bring the captive back to the tavern. Pushing the person- now noticeably a girl in her early twenties- on a stool, Trinity leveled a gun at the girl's head while Neo sat across from her before speaking.  
  
"Who are you?"  
  
"I might as well ask you the same thing, you being in my creation and all."  
  
"What?" Trinity asked. 


	16. How did you do this?

At this point, I've decided to make this story a somewhat prequel to Changing the Tides. Enjoy.  
  
~~~~~~~~~  
  
"You two are the only people ever to come upon this place. I created it by hacking. I found this cool thing where I could hack out of any space, into a new dimension almost, and then back in, allowing me to control anything and everything I create." The girl explained.  
  
"Do you know how you did this? Hack out, I mean." Neo asked.  
  
"Well, I'm not sure. I was flying through all kinds of access codes and mainframe hacks when I stumbled upon what I call an 'unlocked door' because it's so easy to crack. I easily hacked through it into this space where I found hundreds upon thousands of files that I couldn't crack for a sim program."  
  
"Why do you call it that?" Neo inquired at the choice of words.  
  
"Because it was all files on a fake Earth, fake reality, whatever you want to call it. Like a sim. You know, Sim City?"  
  
"Yeah, yeah, I know it. Played it quite often enough." Neo nodded, gaining a questioning glance from Trinity.  
  
"Well, that's what it was, but I was outside of those files, in a new cyber space. And I had the ability to create a new file to add to the other files that I could crack because I made it. So I made my own place. The only problem was that it transcended onto the real planet, not a sim, and that's why I'm here. People that lived around here, they didn't understand why there was nothing where something should've been. So they left. Now this fucked up thing I created is left alone, until you came along."  
  
"Did you ever feel that this world that you live in just wasn't quite right? Like something was wrong with it?" Neo asked calmly.  
  
The girl's eyes, which were eyeing Trinity's gun, immediately flicked to Neo's.  
  
"H-how did you know that?" She asked.  
  
Neo leaned back, as if relaxing.  
  
"Trinity, I think you can lower your gun now. She won't do anything." Neo took off his glasses, and rubbed the bridge of his nose.  
  
"Trinity? Not the Trinity? Who cracked the IRS database?" The girl's eyes widened upon the name and the face.  
  
Trinity sighed and placed the gun in a hidden holster inside her jacket.  
  
"One and the same girl. Neo, I'd like to talk with you for a moment if you don't mind." Trinity motioned with her hand for him to follow.  
  
"Oh my God. Neo? Oh God. Oh God."  
  
Neo glanced at the girl.  
  
"Stay here."  
  
~~*~~  
  
"Do you think we could unplug her?" Trinity asked the moment the door closed.  
  
"Yeah, but we have to be careful. She doesn't know what she did. If we push her, she may never be able to do it again." Neo leaned against the wall, facing her.  
  
"I know. But she hacked into the machine's mainframe. She got into the Matrix's database. No one has ever done that. If we pull her out and she shows us-" Trinity's train of thought was cut short by Neo.  
  
"No. She did it accidentally. I think we should leave her in the matrix, as an informant. She can hack for us, and we can help finding the correct codes to hack. If we can shut down the machines' control over the Matrix, then we can safely free all minds that can be freed."  
  
"We could probably find the files for Sentinels and all of that."  
  
"Yeah. You're right, but she won't know what they are."  
  
"Then one of us will help her."  
  
"Do remember that we have to get out of here first."  
  
"I know. Come on." Trinity ended the conversation as she walked towards the door.  
  
~~*~~  
  
"Anything now? Any news?" Detrick asked a tired Morpheus.  
  
"None. I'll call them in a few minutes though to check up." Morpheus yawned.  
  
"Want me to take the shift? You're a bit too tired."  
  
Sleep taking him over, Morpheus nodded, and began the long trek back to his and Niobe's room.  
  
~~*~~  
  
"What's your name?" Trinity asked, breaking the stare Neo was getting from her.  
  
"Max." Came the quick reply.  
  
"And your hacker name?"  
  
The girl paused, eyeing Trinity cautiously, as if weighing the chances of getting in trouble.  
  
"Grace."  
  
"Grace," Neo began, leaning forward in his chair, "How can we get out of here?"  
  
"Walk out."  
  
"No. We tried. It's like an invisible wall. You can get in, but not back out."  
  
"Okay, I made it like that because I didn't think anyone would come in. I'll just get out, change the boundaries I've made a bit and you can leave."  
  
"Before you do, I want to ask you, do you want to know the truth?" Neo asked.  
  
Biting her lip in concentration, Grace locked eyes with him before responding.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"The only catch is that we can't show you the truth until after you help us with your hacking. Trinity and I will come visit you to help hack those files."  
  
"All right."  
  
Neo took a breath before beginning the long speech of the Matrix.  
  
~~*~~  
  
"Operator." Sparks pressed the headset to his ear.  
  
"Sparks, we need an exit." Neo's voice crackled through the phone.  
  
"Got one ready for you. It's in Rome. When you get there, tell me."  
  
"Yeah, yeah." Neo smirked before shutting off the phone and readjusting his grip around Trinity's waist.  
  
~~*~~  
  
"Nice to see you awake." Niobe commented as she pulled the IV bag out of Neo's arm while Flash pulled the spike out of his head. Glancing over, Neo saw Morpheus and Ghost doing the same to Trinity.  
  
As Neo stood, stretching his legs for the first time in over a day, the proximity warning began flashing.  
  
"Sentinels, coming in quick!" Link called from the operator's chair. 


	17. Sentinels have a party with bodies

"There's no time!" Flash yelled, running towards the ladder.  
  
"We have to try to fight!" Detrick shot back, following close behind. Link stayed in the Core, ready to turn the EMP on when ready.  
  
Minutes later, Link heard everyone calling in from their battle stations as the Sentinels attacked.  
  
"Flash and Detrick ready at Station 1."  
  
"Trinity ready at Station 2."  
  
"Neo and Sparks at Station 3."  
  
"Morpheus and Ghost in the cockpit."  
  
"Niobe right above you on the walkway." Niobe called down, gun in hand.  
  
"Trinity, Flash, and Detrick, you've both got three coming in on your side. Neo and Sparks, you've got six. Morpheus, two." Link spoke rapidly into the headset.  
  
~~*~~  
  
"Eat shit metal head!" Flash yelled out, firing at will.  
  
"Flash, Flash! We've got one cutting in! Fl-" Detrick's warning was silenced as a laser shot through his chest.  
  
"Detrick? Detrick! Link, we've got a man down Detrick's down! I repeat- Oh my God." Flash's eyes bulged out of their sockets as a Sentinel climbing in and over Detrick's body, cornering him.  
  
~~*~~  
  
"Neo, watch out!" Sparks pushed Neo aside as a laser cut through the hull, hitting him.  
  
Neo stretched out his arm to throw power into the Sentinel, only to fly backwards from a tentacle hitting him in the chest. The Sentinel kept coming, whipping at Neo's heels as he ran down the hall to Trinity's station. As he called out her name, he was hit in the back by another tentacle, and flew into her, knocking her over. The Sentinel hovered a moment before deciding they were dead and moved on.  
  
Neo lifted his head, and grabbed the headset that had fallen off of Trinity's head. Picking it up, he yelled hoarsely into the mouthpiece:  
  
"Link, I don't give a fuck if the ship's on! Throw the damn EMP! NOW!" Neo dropped the headset, not waiting for an answer.  
  
Looking down into Trinity's blue eyes, he cradled her head as the EMP blast flew over them.  
  
~~*~~  
  
"Hold on Sparks, you're gonna make it!" Trinity called out, gingerly lifting pieces of metal off of his bloodied chest.  
  
"Trinity-"  
  
"Shhh, rest. Let us get you out of here. Neo! I need help!" Trinity called out.  
  
Neo appeared around the corner, covered in blood.  
  
"My God, what happened-"  
  
"It's Flash's." Neo cut off her question.  
  
Trinity's worry immediately shifted to sadness before telling him to help her move Sparks. Together, they gently lifted him onto a makeshift stretcher Trinity had brought up with her. Carrying him down the hall to a bare room save for assorted medical supplies, Trinity and Neo placed him carefully on a table. Immediately setting to work, Neo washed his hands as Trinity gave Sparks an anesthetic. Before they could do anymore, Morpheus walked in, helping a limping Niobe over to another table.  
  
"Is anyone else alive?" Neo asked, looking up from cutting open Sparks' shirt.  
  
"Link has a few bruises, Ghost and I were relatively unharmed, Flash, as you know was ripped apart, and Detrick was killed instantly from a laser."  
  
Trinity swallowed hard at the news of Flash's death, but snapped back to the job at hand. They had work to do, people had died, but they had to save those who were still alive.  
  
~~*~~ Neo sighed heavily in infirmary. Trinity and he had worked for an hour and a half, trying to stop the bleeding, but Sparks' life slipped away anyway. Niobe had a broken ankle, and seemed to have shut out everyone, including Morpheus. Neo had gently cleaned Trinity's back as she had a large, deep cut down the length of it from him knocking her over and onto a piece of metal. In turn, Trinity cleaned his own back and chest from the scrapes and abrasions the Sentinel's tentacles gave him. Morpheus had a few nicks and scrapes while Ghost had a cut on his arm. Compared to everyone else, Link was fine with only a bruise on his temple and forearm.  
  
"You gonna be okay?" Link asked when he saw Neo leaned against the wall, a sick look on his face.  
  
"Too much death, and carnage. Too much, for one day." Neo replied, glancing at Link.  
  
"Where's Trinity?"  
  
"Getting rest. She couldn't stay here once Sparks died. At least she never saw Flash." Neo turned his head to face the blank wall across from him, a welcoming view from all the blood he had seen.  
  
"I know. Neo, you should get some sleep. Not stay in this empty room." Link commented. The three bodies had been burned and put in three metal jars before being shot out of the ship into the sewers.  
  
"I know. I just wanted Trinity to have some time alone."  
  
"Neo, this time, of all times, is NOT a time to be left with your thoughts. You need to have someone around. Go. I'm with Ghost tonight, so no one's alone." Link ushered Neo out before closing the door tightly behind him.  
  
~~*~~  
  
Neo carefully opened the door to his and Trinity's bedroom. Seeing her laying on her stomach, Neo slipped in and shut the door. Taking off his shoes and then kneeling down to take hers off, Neo smiled at her sleeping form. Neo lay down on the bed beside her and promptly feel asleep.  
  
"No! Neo!" Trinity cried out in her sleep before jolting awake, only to feel his lips pressing against her forehead.  
  
"It's okay, I'm here. I'm alive." Neo pulled away to look into her eyes.  
  
"Oh God. We almost lost each other today."  
  
"I know. But we're here now, together." Neo trailed his fingers down her side and back up, calming her down.  
  
"I know. But they aren't anymore. What are we going to do?" Trinity asked softly.  
  
"We'll unplug Grace, and two others I had my eyes on before all this shit happened, before my coma, before all of this." Neo responded. "Now, let's sleep, ask questions tomorrow." Neo silenced Trinity before watching her fall back asleep and following soon thereafter. 


	18. The Blackout Room

Well, heads up everyone: School had officially started. Also school soccer and homework. I am telling you all up front: I most likely will only have time to update this on the weekends. Sorry, I know you all like the two day or three day updates, but I just can't do it with all the stuff going on.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"The ship is in fine condition. It seems the sentinels only wanted to wipe us out. They had no interest in the ship." Morpheus announced in the mess hall the next morning.  
  
Everyone sat around the table, faces drawn, masks of sadness. Neo and Trinity had their hands clasped tightly together, a reminder that the other was still there. Caressing her hand with his thumb, Neo felt Trinity squeeze his hand back in response. Ghost had become more withdrawn than usual and Neo suddenly felt as if he looked at Trinity differently since the attack. Almost like he was attracted to her. Shaking the thought from his mind, Neo concentrated on what his captain was saying.  
  
"-The infirmary was destroyed. Bane didn't survive the attack, not that he had much chance anyway, since we weren't near him. Link and I will start work on rebuilding it with Neo today. Ghost, Trinity and Niobe, you three can work on re-welding the holes the sentinels made in the hull. We'll take a break in six hours." Morpheus commanded.  
  
As everyone filed out, silently, Neo spared a glance at Trinity, locking eyes with hers. Giving a look saying he wouldn't be far from her, Neo turned away towards the remains of the infirmary. Six hours of picking up metal shards and sheets and moving them, searching for more supplies, and slowly rebuilding the infirmary passed faster than Neo knew. As he clambered up the ladder to get to the mess hall, he tried to remember the last time he was this exhausted. The memory of being killed and brought back to life came to mind as he poured some goop for himself.  
  
~~*~~  
  
"Neo, can you and Trinity work together up in Station 1? We haven't gotten there yet, and since the infirmary can't be fixed up any more, I thought you might be able to help us weld the hull back together." Niobe asked, her voice hollow.  
  
Neo felt a pang of sadness seep through him at the sound of her voice, but nodded anyway. Following Trinity to Station 1, Neo couldn't help but think of the carnage that took place here. As the hours slowly ticked by, Neo's hands slowly became numb, as did his brain. Slipping a half-inch, Neo's fingers barely missed the flame from the torch Trinity wielded.  
  
"Neo! Are you okay? I didn't burn you did I?" Trinity asked, immediately turning off the torch.  
  
"No, I'm okay. Just, slipped." Neo replied.  
  
"I think we need a break." Trinity slid off the wielder's mask and walked out, gesturing for him to follow.  
  
Neo followed, not really registering where he was going before he found himself in a room he'd never been before. It was a room for a crewmember to sleep in, but it looked- better than a normal room. The bed was sunk into the floor, covered in sheets that didn't look too worn out, and had several pillows that were larger than any he'd seen. The room itself was larger than the others, and it had a small couch bolted into the wall too boot.  
  
"What the hell?" Neo asked, his hand absently rubbing the plug on the back of his head.  
  
"This is the room that is never used. I'm going to go tell Morpheus where we are and then I'll be back. Just stay here. I'll explain later." Trinity guided Neo to the bed and then left, stealing a glance back at him before shutting the door.  
  
~~*~~  
  
Neo lay on the rather comfy bed thinking that it certainly felt more like a bed from Zion, not a bed that would be on a ship when he heard Trinity reenter. Listening to her shoes thump on the floor, Neo awaited the warmth of her body to lie next to his. It never came. Opening his eyes in confusion, Neo saw her looking down at him, watching him.  
  
"Yes?" Neo asked, arching an eyebrow.  
  
"You want answers?" Trinity asked, sliding down onto her side beside him and propping her head up on her arm.  
  
"Yeah, right. Answers." Neo sat up a bit and blinked his eyes a few times.  
  
"This room is usually called the Blackout room because by the time someone actually comes in here, they've blacked-out. It a room for someone in too healthy a condition to be put in the infirmary, yet in just enough need for recovery that the normal sleeping quarters aren't enough. I've personally only been in this room once, and that was right after I found out the truth. Morpheus didn't put you in here after you rejected the truth because he needed you to believe quickly." Trinity explained, running a hand through her hair in the process. "You need this room for a softer change from the hard metal and steel and the lumpy pillows and the small cots. This room is the only room where the heat is stored when not in use so that when the door opens and someone enters, the heat will stay on long enough for their stay. And it's warm in here. Not right now, but it will be."  
  
Neo nodded, fighting to keep his eyes open.  
  
"Tired?" Trinity asked upon seeing him struggle.  
  
Neo nodded before feeling Trinity's cool hand gently stroke his face. Lying down under the covers, the pair quickly fell asleep.  
  
~~*~~  
  
Neo awoke sometime later, feeling extremely hot. Sliding off his shirt and pants, and, upon noting it was still too hot, his boxers, Neo slipped back into a dreamless sleep.  
  
When he opened his eyes again, Neo was very aware of Trinity's naked body pressed against his, sweat slick between them. His body awoke fully then, becoming very aware of the leg slid between his, the hand on his damp chest, the head placed between his own head and shoulder, and everything from her breasts down to her hips pressed tightly against his side. Trying to calm his immediate reaction to the sensations, Neo felt Trinity move against him. A ripple went through her body, causing each part that touched him to move away and then back again.  
  
Sighing softly, Neo felt her smile against him. So she was awake. Moving his head back, he tilted hers up to meet his lips. Kissing softly at first and then increasing in passion as his desire grew, Neo slid on top of her lithe form and place a hand firmly on the side of her waist, above her hip. Trinity sighed against his mouth as he entered her. Rocking slowly at first, Neo's lips sealed over Trinity's before exploring further down her neck. Reaching her collarbone, Neo began to move faster. Just as the fire beneath his skin from her touches began to become too much to bear, Neo felt himself falling over that wonderful waterfall of bliss as the world around them exploded.  
  
Lifting his head up to look at her, Neo watched as Trinity slowly opened her eyes, and her breath returned to normal. Smiling softly, he kissed her once more, gently this time, before sliding off to her side.  
  
"What a wonderful wake up call." Trinity mumbled softly as she turned on her side to face him.  
  
"Mmmm. I thought so too." Neo closed his eyes for a moment as Trinity moved closer so that their bodies were almost touching. "How long do we have in here?"  
  
"Let's see." Trinity slowly got out of the bed, pulling a blanket around her body as she did so.  
  
Neo watched her move across the room to a clock on the wall. Turning back around to face him, Trinity said,  
  
"We've been in here for 11 hours, which means we've only got and hour left before we have to leave for others to come in."  
  
"You mean- we aren't the only ones who come here?" Neo asked, surprised.  
  
"No. There's only one room like this on each ship. After an event like the one we had, everyone is given the chance to sleep in here. Someone just has to be the first to break and go in. No one likes to do that because it means that you give in faster. That's why we didn't do it after you died." Trinity explained as she came back down onto the bed.  
  
As she leaned in to kiss him, a sharp rap came on the door. Trinity sighed before pulling the blankets back up around her and stood. Opening the door enough to see who was out there, Trinity wasn't the least bit surprised to see Ghost. What unnerved her though, was his reaction to her body being only covered by a blanket.  
  
"Yes?" Trinity asked, grabbing his attention.  
  
"Morpheus wants to see you on the deck. As soon as possible." Ghost replied, trying to keep his voice level.  
  
"You're in here next?" Trinity asked.  
  
"Yeah. Me then Neo." Ghost replied.  
  
"Don't worry about Neo." Trinity replied gently.  
  
"Why not?"  
  
Trinity turned and motioned Neo to come to the door. Watching with amusement as he quickly pulled a blanket around his waist, Trinity opened the door more so that Ghost could see him at the door.  
  
"Oh. Okay then. Then it's me then Niobe." Ghost nodded, becoming stiff.  
  
"Are you okay?" Trinity asked, concerned.  
  
Looking at Neo, Ghost's eyes clouded over slightly. Neo only narrowed his eyes and moved closer to Trinity.  
  
"I'm fine." Ghost replied, not taking his eyes off Neo. Then, without waiting for her to respond, Ghost turned on his heel and walked back down the hall.  
  
"That was odd." Trinity commented as she closed the door.  
  
"Mmmm. Maybe you should talk too him about it." Neo responded quietly as they returned to the bed.  
  
"I will, later though, after he's rested." Trinity's mind was racing with a million reason for Ghost's sudden change in attitude towards both her and hers and Neo's relationship.  
  
~~~~~~~~~  
  
Now here is the true beginning of Ghost's transformation into the Ghost you all know from Changing the Tides! Have fun watching him change. 


	19. People change

One Month Later  
  
"Neo, are you sure we should go in now? Maybe he's not ready for the truth." Niobe asked.  
  
"I watched Flisk for four months before the shit hit the fan. He's ready." Neo sat in his plug in seat, waiting to be jacked in.  
  
~~*~~  
  
Neo sat in the same red chair Morpheus had sat in when he gave him the two pills. Now, in front of him sat a blonde haired man in his mid-twenties with striking green eyes. Opening his two hands to reveal the blue and red pills, Neo waited for him to choose. As Flisk reached towards the blue pill, Neo spoke, stopping him.  
  
"Remember, this choice is yours alone, but what you've been searching for the last three years is at the end of taking the red pill." Neo sat, allowing the point to sink it. Sighing inwardly as he took the blue pill and swallowed it, Neo stood. As Flisk slipped into unconsciousness, Neo opened the doors to the unplugging room.  
  
"Where is he?" Trinity asked, curious.  
  
"Bring the car around. He's going home." Neo lowered his head. Sure he'd unplugged Wish, who'd eagerly accepted the red pill, but he was almost sure Flisk would take it too.  
  
~~*~~  
  
"Not everyone takes the red pill. Remember that." Morpheus placed a hand on Neo's shoulder when he woke up in the Real World.  
  
"Okay, can we talk about Grace and the anomaly and your powers again now?" Niobe asked, trying to get back to the most important discussion since Neo became aware of it three days ago.  
  
"What can I say? The machines immediately became aware of my ability to force a huge amount of power into their systems and have put up some sort of deflector shield so I can't do it. That's an end of those powers, unless I want to be thrown into a wall each time from the force of the shield. As for Grace, well, the machines also became aware of her hacking into the mainframe when Trinity went in to hack a few files in order to help us. They locked down the mainframe and moved all the files. Another dead-end." Neo stood up, shaking his head. Everything they had going for them had just recently gone down the drain.  
  
"So are we going to pull her out?" Wish asked from the empty operator's chair. A newly unplugged, she was learning exceptionally fast how to become a medic. At the moment, Morpheus was teaching her the last things she needed to know before she could become a full-fledged medic on the ship.  
  
Neo nodded before responding. "Yeah, but we need her to shut down her system. It's fucking with the machines' control in a way that's not good for us. It can actually keep us stuck in the Matrix if it screws up enough. Once shut down, we'll pull her out."  
  
"All right, so we have a plan. Tomorrow we'll go in and get her out." Morpheus concluded.  
  
~~*~~  
  
"Hey, have you spoken with Ghost yet?" Neo asked. Trinity had kept putting off her conversation with him for a month and each day, Neo was becoming more and more persistent.  
  
"I'll go now if you want me too." Trinity replied, stopping in her tracks.  
  
"Yeah, it's really unnerving me." Neo responded, shrugging his shoulders.  
  
"All right. I'll be back soon." Trinity smiled gently before turning and walking down the hall in the opposite direction they were coming.  
  
~~*~~  
  
"Ghost? Can I come in?" Trinity asked, opening the door slightly.  
  
"Yeah." Came the soft reply.  
  
Trinity stepped into the room and shut the door. Leaning against it, she began her inquiry.  
  
"What's wrong Ghost? You've been different to both me and Neo ever since the sentinel attack."  
  
"Sometimes an event changes your view on things." Came the short reply.  
  
"What do you mean?" Trinity asked, genuinely confused.  
  
"When death bumps against you in the real world, how you look at a person or persons, changes. In the Matrix I'm used to fighting death daily, no biggie for me. But in the real world, it's real. There is no exit to get me home to safety. This is it. When I saw the deaths that occurred, I just came to realization that I didn't want to die without being truthful to myself."  
  
"And what truth is that?"  
  
"I love you. I always have. I just never knew how much or how deeply until that attack because it was then that I knew that your life could be snuffed out so quickly, and I didn't want it to be." Ghost paused.  
  
Trinity stared, in shock. This was something never to be expected, least of all from Ghost.  
  
"And now that I know, it's just so, I don't know, irritating to see you and Neo together. Because I want to be there. I'm sorry. I don't know how I've changed. I just have." Ghost shook his head.  
  
"Ghost-" Pausing to think about what to say, Trinity took a breath before continuing. "You'll always be my friend, and I'll always care for you. But don't be mad at Neo, he's the One. Our savior. Don't be mad at him for something as small as being with me."  
  
"It's not small. It's huge." Ghost stood, anger swelling. Trinity was taken aback. This man never got angry; he was always calm and collected. A tempest controlled behind a pair of watchful eyes.  
  
"Ghost. I'm sorry. But this is not something I'm changing." Trinity decided it would be better if she left now before she saw him explode.  
  
"I know. I know." Ghost sank back down to the bed. Waving her away, he said, "Go on, go. Leave me be."  
  
Trinity left, shell shocked and confused.  
  
~~*~~  
  
"So? What did he say?" Neo asked the moment Trinity walked into their room.  
  
Trinity sat on the bed before answering.  
  
"He- he- he loves me. And is jealous of you because you're with me."  
  
"When did this start?"  
  
"After the attack." Trinity replied, staring at the wall.  
  
"Holy shit." Neo sat back, leaning back on the bed.  
  
"Yes." 


	20. Grace dislikes being plugged in

"Grace. Would you like to see the truth for yourself now?" Neo asked, his glasses giving her a perfect reflection of her face.  
  
Nodding, she reached out to pick up the red pill and placed it on her tongue. Swallowing it dry, she followed Neo as he stood and walked over to a set of doors. Upon entering, Grace saw equipment of all kinds that she'd never thought existed. Trinity guided her over to a chair and after placing a heart sensor above her breast and a phone on her ear- just like she had done with Neo- she walked over and took a seat in front of a computer monitor.  
  
~~*~~  
  
"The medical droid just unscrewed her neck plug, she'll be down in the water tanks soon." Morpheus informed as Neo and Trinity's minds came back to their bodies.  
  
"All right. Are we there?" Neo asked.  
  
"Right overhead." Link affirmed.  
  
Moments later, the bay doors opened and the mechanical arm dropped down, pulling the frail Grace up. Wrapping her in a blanket, Neo smiled at her.  
  
"Welcome."  
  
~~*~~  
  
Opening her eyes in the new room she would live in, Grace found Neo sitting on the floor waiting patiently for her to wake.  
  
"How do you feel?" Neo asked, eyes showing concern.  
  
"Weird. How long have I been out? I mean, unconscious since I was- whatever I was." Grace slowly sat up, rubbing her eyes.  
  
"Well, since you woke up in the real world, you've been asleep for two weeks. You didn't even wake up while we fixed up your body. Even I woke up then." Neo smiled, standing. "I'm sure you have many questions."  
  
"Just one right now." Grace ran a hand slowly over the stubble of black hair on her head.  
  
"Yes?" Neo asked, cocking his head to one side.  
  
"Where's Trinity?"  
  
Neo smiled before placing a blanket around her shoulders.  
  
"Come with me. I'll show you."  
  
As Neo moved fluidly around the core, Grace slowly took in her surroundings. As her eyes widened at the sight of computer monitors showing green coding dropping down like rain drops, Trinity moved over to her side. Jumping at the shock of Trinity's hand on her shoulder, Grace swiveled around, only to breath a sigh of relief.  
  
"Hey. Did you shut down your program?"  
  
"Hi and yes."  
  
Neo smirked at the lack of conversation, considering women were generally more talkative than men, but then again, maybe that was just a Matrix thing.  
  
~~*~~  
  
As the weeks passed, slowly at times, and faster at others, Grace quickly became accustomed to working hard and eating goop. The one thing she despised was going into the Matrix, or even the Construct. Neo, noticing this quickly, brought her into the core one morning without one word of explanation.  
  
"Link, morning. I've got your newest buddy. I'll check on you two later, okay?" Neo placed his hand on Grace's shoulders before turning and leaving.  
  
"What's going on?" Grace asked, turning to look at Neo's retreating back and Link's huge smile.  
  
"Well, you're a great programmer and a great hacker, from what you did in the Matrix. Since you happen to hate going into the computers, and especially hate that needle in your head, we've decided to turn you into an operator. I warn you, it's a hard life, all that typing and hacking while sitting in a comfortable chair. Not to mention listening to all these people complaining about exits and agents on the other end of the line, disturbing us from playing games." Link's laughter filled the room, and, being as infectious as it was, Grace began to laugh too.  
  
"All right, I'll give it a try."  
  
"Good, because I think you're gonna be all right."  
  
"Who was the last operator?" Grace asked as she slid into the empty seat.  
  
Link's gaze faltered, as did his smile for a moment before his face became serious.  
  
"In the last sentinel attack, three people were killed. Sparks, this ship's official operator was one of them."  
  
"Official?" Grace asked, cocking her to one side.  
  
"Yeah. Morpheus, Neo, Trinity and I are rooming here. Our ship, the Nebuchadnezzar, it was blown up by sentinels. So we're staying here because this ship had enough room to take us on after the attack in Zion."  
  
"I heard. Neo and Trinity did a rather solemn but good explanation about it. It's was entertaining to listen to them finish each other's sentences, like one mind was working." Grace smiled at the memory. "They really love each other, don't they?"  
  
"More than some people can even comprehend." Link replied. "Well, let's get you started. You'll need to learn how to read the coding first, then we'll move on to basics. The coding is the hardest to crack, but after that, it's just figuring out how to work through and around it."  
  
"Let's get started then." Grace smiled, turning to face her console.  
  
~~*~~  
  
"Okay, so these are people? And that symbol signifies male and that one female? Okay. What does an unplugged person have to make them different?" Grace asked Link as Neo walked in.  
  
"Well, let's go find one. If we can't find one, I'll pull up an example of one."  
  
"How's it going?" Neo asked, placing an arm on the top of Link's chair.  
  
"Pretty well, she's a quick learner. She's got everything from finding a déjà vu in the Matrix to what an agent looks like to the difference between a pine tree and a cat. Now we're onto the more complicated coding of people and rebels.  
  
"Can she hack in to find someone?" Neo asked, glancing down at Grace's upturned face.  
  
"Well, Grace, why don't we show him? Mister Big-Shot here may be able to fly, but can we find the Oracle? Let's go for it." Link turned, watching Grace's fingers fly over the keys.  
  
Link began his own search for the Oracle to make sure Grace was right, but she was learning so quickly, it wouldn't surprise him if she found her.  
  
"She's in an old motel on the outskirts of the city. Seraph is with her."  
  
Neo looked at Link to confirm this.  
  
"Yup. There she is. Reading 'The Odyssey' too." Link laughed.  
  
"Well, a few more days at this and I think we'll have a second operator on this ship." Neo smiled, before backing up to leave.  
  
"It's amazing at the speed she and Wish learn. Wish was so quick."  
  
"Yeah, but most of what she learned was uploaded into her mind from the Construct." Neo countered.  
  
"Yeah, yeah. You're right." Link nodded in agreement.  
  
~~*~~  
  
Neo opened his door to his and Trinity's room only to find Ghost and Trinity in a conversation that was by all means becoming heated. Sometimes Neo was smart enough to just leave these two alone, considering the amount of conversations and arguments they'd had recently. Ghost was slowly wedging his way between Neo and Trinity and neither of them liked it in the least. Unfortunately, this was not one of those times. The fact that this was taking place in the only private and personal place he and Trinity shared on the ship only added another ember to the fire.  
  
"Hey, guys, what's going on here?" Neo asked, pushing the door open fully.  
  
"We're just having a discussion." Ghost replied, not even turning to acknowledge his presence. "You don't need to worry about it."  
  
Neo did not like being dismissed so unkindly, and upon taking a step in, he noticed Trinity's cool exterior faltering. Ghost had been pushing something too far.  
  
"I think I do."  
  
Ghost's head whipped around, narrowing his eyes, he replied:  
  
"And why's that?"  
  
"Because you are in my room, disturbing Trinity. If you want to argue with her in your room or the mess hall or the core or wherever, I won't stop nor bother you. But this is OUR room, and I don't want you fighting here."  
  
"Why not? You two do."  
  
Trinity's eyes locked on Ghost's face.  
  
"Excuse me?!?" Trinity asked, her voice filled with shock.  
  
"You heard me."  
  
"Leave." Neo commanded, trying to keep his emotions in check.  
  
Before Ghost could even reply with his own comment, Trinity finished what Neo was going to say.  
  
"Now."  
  
Glancing at the two for a moment, Ghost stood and walked out of the room. Closing the door behind him, Neo placed his hands on it to calm the anger boiling just beneath his skin.  
  
~~~~~~  
  
For who has read Changing the Tides: understanding why Neo had such a distaste for Ghost? I guess this whole scene was the last of the change for Ghost before you meet him in Changing the Tides. I'll be wrapping this story up soon because if I don't, it'll just run straight into and through Changing the Tides. One more chapter, that's it. 


	21. Sometimes you are alone, sometimes you a...

I would like to make a last chapter dedication. I have never done it before, but it is truly deserved. Dreamingofani, or Ellie, as I've come to know you, I dedicate this chapter to you. You saw me through all my head- banging-against-wall nights on how to meld this into a prequel. For all who think I did a good job making it into a prequel, thank not just me, but also Ellie. I would.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Niobe, may I speak with you for a moment?" Morpheus asked, knocking on the door to their room.  
  
"Morpheus, we share the same room, you hardly need to ask for that."  
  
"Just being considerate." Morpheus replied, shutting the door.  
  
Sitting down on the edge of the bed, Morpheus watched Niobe stretch her legs out along the bed from her place in the corner.  
  
"So, what do you want to talk about?"  
  
"Well, ever since the attack, you've been, more unemotional, more, detached and aloof."  
  
"In a war, people die, you have to be able to accept that."  
  
"I am Niobe. The question is, are you?" Morpheus looked hard at Niobe before her eyes flicked down to the mattress.  
  
"Morpheus, I think I'd sleep better if we slept in separate cots." Niobe changed the topic, coolly and coldly.  
  
Nodding curtly, Morpheus stood and began pulling the cots apart, causing Niobe to almost fall onto the floor. Masking a smile behind a cough, Morpheus finished pulling the cot until it was on the opposite side of the room. Standing up straight, he cast a glance at Niobe before turning to leave. Pausing at the door, Morpheus left a last comment before leaving,  
  
"I would like you to know, that you are still a captain in a war where there are very few humans. People die, yes, but the ones who survive have to continue fighting or else the ones who die, die in vain."  
  
~~*~~  
  
"Morpheus, I think I've figured something out. I has to do with the deflector shields the sentinels have now." Neo began, sitting down across from his captain.  
  
"Neo, for three months, you've been trying to figure something out, what makes you think you have now?" Morpheus tiredly asked.  
  
"I think, if they can make a deflector shield, why can't we?"  
  
Morpheus' head shot up, eyes wide open.  
  
"What's you idea?"  
  
~~*~~  
  
The Next Day  
  
"My, my. Neo, I have to ask, how can you, of all people, injure yourself so often in the real world?" Wish asked, a smile across her face as she finished putting a cleanser on his shoulder from a burn from an electrical wire.  
  
"Well, the ship hates me."  
  
"Maybe you wronged it in a past life and it's seeking revenge."  
  
Neo laughed as he pulled his shirt over his head.  
  
"Yeah, maybe. Thanks."  
  
"Anytime. Well, not anytime, I have my business hours, you know. Go bother someone else for a change." Wish began pushing Neo out the door, laughing as she did.  
  
~~*~~  
  
"Link, stop fooling with the Construct. You'll only piss off Neo and Trinity more." Grace commented, taking a seat in her operator's chair.  
  
"That's the point." Link replied, eyes never leaving the screen.  
  
"In that case... What else can we do?" Grace smiled devilishly before typing rapidly.  
  
"What'd you do? Oh God. Trinity is gonna kill you." Link laughed out loud at the sight before him.  
  
"Do you think I overdid it with the slippers?"  
  
"No, no. Trinity in pink pajamas with fuzzy slippers are great. She'll just kill you later."  
  
"Ha. Watch her try."  
  
"Hear we go. Women fighting over who's tougher." Link rolled his eyes before concentrating back on the rather ridiculous dojo fight.  
  
~~*~~  
  
As Neo lay on the now widened bed in his and Trinity's room, waiting for sleep to claim him, he allowed his thoughts to wander. The war may have a slight change with the force field, if it worked at all. That, he would find out in the morning.  
  
"Neo?" Trinity asked softly.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"We've been through a lot in just three months."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"But we're still here."  
  
"Always will be." Neo replied, tightening his hold around her waist.  
  
"We're gonna make it through this war. I know it. Know why?" Trinity paused to feel Neo shake his head against her neck. "Because we aren't alone."  
  
After her comment, Neo found sleep much easier that night.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
All right. This is THE END. If it doesn't feel like I really wrapped it up, it's because I didn't. You want the rest of this story? Go read Changing the Tides. The sequel to this story. I enjoyed writing this story, and had many hard nights trying to make everything blend together to turn into a prequel. I think I did a good job, considering I wrote Changing the Tides before this. I will tell you now: there will be a few things that don't mesh correctly, but that's because I wrote this AFTER Changing the Tides. Oh well, it's fun nevertheless. This is the end of my new fics for now. I'll be posting an older fic I wrote in April, but not writing new stuff. School and soccer will be too much. Thank you for everything. 


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